This is War
by 09sarahbean
Summary: War is upon the Wizarding world. When Lord Voldemort takes over, Lucy Jones must make some difficult choices in order to survive & help those around her. Sequel to Here We Are, and final story in the Lucy Jones series.
1. 1: The Cabin in the Woods

_**A/N: We have reached the final story in this series. That's actually crazy to me. I feel like it was yesterday that I was deciding to reupload this series, and thinking that it was going to take a whole year to get it all out there, and now I'm on number 7, thinking "how is it already October?!"**_

_**This is story number 7 in this series, so if you are interested in reading the others, you can start with number 1, which is called This is Home.**_

_**The upload schedule will be the same as the previous ones (Monday, Wednesday, Friday), and the rating is M, like the last one, for swearing and mildly explicit scenes.**_

_**There is something a little bit different with the contents of this story. There will be 21 regular chapters, but in between a few of those chapters are going to be 3 kind of mini-chapters, which I'm calling Interludes. You'll understand when I get to them, but basically they're insights into what's going on in a different part of the story. They're all very short, but I felt they were necessary this time around. There will also be an Epilogue (of course), and then I have a couple of other things I'll be posting at the end: a Post-War Timeline, and an Epilogue Outtake. There will be more descriptions on those when we get there.**_

_**All right! Now that all that has been taken care of, it's time to present you with the final story of this series. Happy reading!**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

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_**To the right, to the left  
We will fight to the death  
To the edge of the earth  
It's a brave new world**_

_**This is War by 30 Seconds to Mars**_

**Chapter 1 – The Cabin in the Woods**

"Lucy."

Lucy Jones stirred at the sound of her name being called softly. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter and snuggled into the warm body she was leaning against.

"Lucy—"

"We'll be pulling into the station in nearly five minutes," a different voice interrupted.

Lucy sighed resignedly before peeling her eyes open. She was tucked safely under the arm of her boyfriend, Jeremy Whitlock, while her other friends were packing up their belongings, ready to get off the Hogwarts Express.

"We're almost to London, sleepy head," Jeremy whispered into her ear before pressing a quick kiss onto the top of her head.

"I don't want to get off the train," Lucy mumbled. "If we don't get off, it'll take us back to Hogwarts, right?"

Jeremy chuckled above her but didn't reply.

Lucy felt her chest constrict when she thought back to the last six years she'd spent at Hogwarts with her friends. She had been the only American invited to attend Hogwarts when she was eleven years old. They had been the best years of her life.

While there, she had made friends with Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and the famous Harry Potter. The four of them proved to be quite the trouble-making team. They did everything together, and even through the bad times, they were still best friends.

In Lucy's third year, she found out that her real parents had been James and Lily Potter, which made Lucy Harry's twin sister. She had to keep this information a secret at first, but at the end of their fifth year, Harry was told the truth—along with the rest of the world.

At the end of their fourth year, Lord Voldemort had returned to full power. Harry had defeated him as a baby, reducing him to almost dead. The evil wizard had tried many times to return to his body, and when he finally succeeded, he tried to murder Harry once more. Harry managed to get away and alert the Wizarding world about Voldemort's return.

However, the Ministry of Magic chose to not believe Harry's testimony. For a full year, they refused to acknowledge the truth of what had happened. Only after Voldemort broke into the Ministry and was seen by the Minister of Magic's own eyes did the Ministry finally apologize to Harry.

Things were finally looking up, with the Ministry and the Order of the Phoenix working together to defeat Voldemort. Then, tragedy struck: Albus Dumbledore, leader of the Order, was murdered by Severus Snape. They had thought that Snape had been on the Order's side, but he had betrayed them all.

Lucy was finding it hard to believe that they had just buried Dumbledore that morning before getting on the train to go home. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself as she pulled away from Jeremy.

"What's wrong?" Jeremy asked immediately.

"Nothing," Lucy answered. "Just—thinking about this morning."

Jeremy nodded solemnly. Then he turned to his bag to make sure that he had everything packed away.

Lucy watched him for a few moments, feeling grateful that he was there with her. She had met him in their first year. Jeremy had been sorted into Slytherin house at Hogwarts, so when Lucy and Jeremy had begun their friendship, it sparked a bit of controversy. Gryffindor—the house Lucy belonged to—and Slytherin didn't always get along.

They had started dating in the middle of their fourth year, after the Yule Ball. They had been together ever since, with the exception of a few months between their fifth and sixth years, when Lucy was trying to protect Jeremy from his family. Jeremy's father was a Death Eater, and Lucy was certain that he wouldn't approve of his son dating Harry Potter's twin sister.

Once Jeremy had turned seventeen, he had decided to defy his father's beliefs, and he and Lucy had gotten back together. Then, that morning after the funeral, Lucy had offered to take him home with her for the summer. There was no way that he'd be able to go back to his parents' house, and as far as Lucy knew, he didn't have anywhere else to go.

"I still don't know how you're going to explain to Mrs. Weasley that you won't be staying with us at the Burrow this summer," Hermione Granger said lightly, glancing over at Lucy.

"I… I hadn't thought about it yet," Lucy replied, frowning. "I just wanted to help them."

"Will she make a big deal over it?" Sally-Anne Perks, another of Lucy's friends, spoke up.

Lucy had met Sally-Anne during their first year when they were both sorted into Gryffindor. They had been dorm mates and friends for the past six years, although they had only really grown close in the last year. Sally-Anne was afraid that her Muggle father wouldn't let her return to Hogwarts the next year after everything that had happened and was still happening, so Lucy had offered to bring her home, as well.

"Maybe," Lucy answered.

"_Maybe_?" Ron Weasley echoed with a chuckle. "She'll go _mental_. She'll go on and on about how dangerous it is for you to be on your own."

"We won't be on our own," Lucy said. "Remus will be there, too. I mean, it's _our_ house."

"You know my mum by now, Lucy," Ron shot back. "She doesn't fully trust anyone but herself to take care of all of us."

"He's got a point, you know," Harry Potter said. "She and Sirius kept having rows about me two summers ago, remember? Even if she trusts Lupin, I don't think she's going to let you go without some sort of fight."

"Well, she doesn't need all of us _and_ two more mouths to feed under her roof all summer," Lucy said. "Although—you two are going home first, aren't you?" She looked between Harry and Hermione, both of whom were nodding.

"Just for a little while," Harry said firmly. "Dumbledore said I only had to go back to the Dursleys once more. Hopefully I won't have to wait around until I turn seventeen."

"Bill's and Fleur's wedding is the day after your birthday," Ron informed them, "so you'll have to be with us before that."

"What about you, Hermione?" Harry asked. "How long will you be staying with your parents?"

"Probably not very long," Hermione answered. "I just need to take care of a few things there before I meet up with you all again." She seemed to avoid the rest of their gazes as she spoke.

Lucy glanced over at Jeremy, who shrugged.

**~LJ:TW~**

The train started to slow down, and soon it was pulling into King's Cross Station. Lucy and her friends gathered up their things and got off the train. They joined the crowd, which was slowly moving towards the barrier between the magical and Muggle worlds.

Finally, Lucy and the others were able to pass through the barrier. They began the search for Arthur and Molly Weasley and found—unsurprisingly to Lucy—not just Ron's parents, but also Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, and Alastor Moody. Ginny Weasley—Ron's younger sister, and Harry's now ex-girlfriend—was already standing with them.

Mrs. Weasley began to fuss over the rest of them, hugging Ron, Hermione, and Harry tightly before greeting Lucy.

"Mrs. Weasley, you remember Sally-Anne Perks from a few summers ago?" Lucy asked, gesturing to her friend.

"Oh," Mrs. Weasley said. "Yes, dear. How are you?"

"I'm all right, Mrs. Weasley," Sally-Anne said. She had been with Lucy at the end of the summer before their third year, and she had ridden with all of them over to the train station to leave for school.

"And my boyfriend, Jeremy?" Lucy added, pointing to Jeremy.

"Yes, yes," Mrs. Weasley said, looking confused.

"Well, they didn't really have anywhere to go," Lucy explained. "And I was wondering," she continued, turning to look at Remus, "if maybe we could come stay with you, Remus. You know, at Sirius's house."

"_What _do you mean, stay at Sirius's house?" Mrs. Weasley said flatly.

"The house that he left to Remus and me," Lucy clarified. "There was no time for me to ask about Jeremy and Sally-Anne, but I figured—I have my own house—"

"But you're just children!" Mrs. Weasley burst out.

"Jeremy and Sally-Anne are both seventeen," Lucy pointed out, "and I will be, too, at the end of July. Besides, Remus will be there to keep an eye on us—won't you?" She turned to her pseudo-uncle, hoping she wasn't wrong.

"Of course I will," Remus said. "There's no need to worry, Molly. You have your hands full with your own children—not to mention Harry and Hermione when they come to stay with you."

"That's beside the point," Mrs. Weasley snapped. "I promised your parents that I would protect you," she went on, staring at Lucy. "Last summer, I told them that we would always look out for you."

"I know," Lucy said. "You'll still be looking out for me, but I can't ask you to take Jeremy and Sally-Anne in, as well. They have nowhere to go, and I'm not making them go back to where they won't be wanted—" She took Jeremy's hand tightly in hers. "—or where they won't be allowed to leave again." She glanced over at Sally-Anne.

Remus let out a low chuckle, and Lucy turned to him. "You remind me so much of your father," he explained. "Your grandfather used to say that James would have brought home every single one of his friends if he felt that they needed someplace to go."

Lucy smiled before looking back at Mrs. Weasley. "I really do appreciate everything you've done for me," she said to the matriarch of the Weasley clan, "and I love you all very much. I just can't ask you to take in two more mouths to feed."

"Molly," Mr. Weasley spoke up, stepping up to his wife's side, "Lucy and her friends will be all right with Remus. After all, Tonks is staying there now, too, and—"

"What?" Lucy, Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Ginny all interrupted.

"Yes, I've moved in with Remus," Tonks replied, beaming. "I'm sorry, Lucy; I know the house is technically yours, too—"

"Don't be sorry!" Lucy quickly cut in. "Sirius was your cousin, after all, and if this means you're with Remus—"

"That's enough jabbering," Moody finally spoke, looking annoyed. "We're here to see Potter and Miss Granger off to their families. Now, let's move."

No one dared to argue with Moody, and soon enough they had spotted Hermione's parents through the crowd. Hermione said her good-byes to everyone, and Lucy was surprised to see that her friend seemed a bit tearful.

"Don't worry, 'Mione," Lucy said as she hugged the other girl tightly. "We'll see you soon."

"I know," Hermione replied. Then she whispered, "That's not what concerns me." Before Lucy could ask what she meant, Hermione pulled away from her and followed her parents from the train station.

Harry was next. He had finally found his uncle and aunt, and he was also passed around as everyone said their farewells.

"Be safe, Harry," Lucy said to her brother. "I know Dumbledore said that you'd be safe at your family's house as long as you could call it home, but still… don't try to take too many risks, okay?"

"_Our_ family's house," Harry corrected her teasingly.

"Yeah, yeah," Lucy said with a roll of her eyes. "Go on.… We'll see you soon."

Harry smirked at her before turning and joining his family.

"Lucy… are you ready to go?" Remus asked.

Lucy looked around at her friends—her family. She smiled. "Let's go home."

**~LJ:TW~**

Mrs. Weasley was crying when she left with her husband and two youngest children. Lucy felt bad that she was making Mrs. Weasley upset, but she also didn't feel like she had a choice.

"We'll Apparate," Remus said to Lucy, Jeremy, and Sally-Anne as they walked away from the train station. "We just have to find a secluded spot, so no Muggles will see us.…"

He and Tonks led the way a little further before finding a dark, deserted alley. Then he waved his wand over Lucy's, Jeremy's, and Sally-Anne's trunks, transporting the luggage ahead to the house.

"Lucy," Remus said, offering her a hand.

Lucy took it, and then she grabbed Jeremy's. Next to them, Sally-Anne joined hands with Tonks. Remus and Tonks both turned on their toes, and the five of them were plunged into the darkness that was Apparition.

They appeared in front of the little cabin in the woods. Lucy took a few deep breaths, glad that she had finally gotten used to Apparating. She saw Jeremy and Sally-Anne gazing at the cabin with interest.

"Welcome home," Remus said simply.

"We'll have to add a few extra rooms, Remus," Tonks said as she walked towards the house. "Right now, there are only two bedrooms, you know," she went on to the others. "One bathroom, too. But if you're all going to stay here, we should probably get you three your own bathroom."

"Constructing an entire new wing of living space?" Sally-Anne spoke up. "That can't be easy magic."

"Luckily, Remus seems to have a knack for building spells," Tonks said, smiling.

Lucy couldn't help the grin that grew on her face. Tonks looked happier than she had in about a year, and Lucy was glad that Remus had finally braved his feelings for the young woman. Lucy hadn't realized that the pair had feelings for each other until the night that Dumbledore had been killed, but things seemed to be going well for them so far.

The five of them reached the cabin, and Tonks led them into the cozy front room. The sitting room, dining room, and kitchen were all open to each other. From the front door, the kitchen and dining room were to the left, with the living room directly ahead. To the right, there was a hallway that headed to the two bedrooms and one bathroom that Tonks had mentioned.

"Speaking of living quarters," Remus said, his tone sounding careful, "how many—erm—how many bedrooms will you need?" His face flushed, and he refused to meet Lucy's gaze.

It only took Lucy a moment to realize that her uncle was feeling embarrassed about asking if she and Jeremy were going to share a room. "Oh," she said, glancing at Jeremy, who was looking as confused as she felt. They had been together for a while, but they'd only just started to be physically intimate. Lucy couldn't decide if it would be inappropriate for her to share a bedroom with Jeremy at this stage in their relationship, but this was also _her_ home.

"It's all right if you want to share," Tonks supplied after a few seconds of awkward silence. "Like you said to Molly at the train station, you're all adults now—or nearly, anyway. It's not our place to judge your choices."

"Thank you," Lucy said, feeling a rush of gratitude towards the witch. She looked at Remus and asked, "How would you feel about it? Tell me honestly."

"I—I feel like I'm in a very difficult position," Remus said. "I promised Molly that I would look after you, and there is no way that she would let the two of you share a bedroom. Also, your parents were some of my closest friends, and it almost feels as though I'm betraying my promise to them to look after you if I let you share a bed with your boyfriend. However," he went on, seeming more hesitant, "I can't pretend that I didn't—er—have my fair share of—sharing a bed with someone at your age—and so did your father—"

"Please, stop," Lucy moaned, putting her hands over her ears. "I don't need to hear about your teenage conquests—"

"They were hardly conquests," Remus scoffed. "I had a girlfriend for a few years—from the sixth year until just before your parents…" He had to stop and clear his throat for a moment. "As for James—well, I won't say that he wasn't popular with the ladies—"

"No, no, no," Lucy chanted, shaking her head. "I don't want to hear about how often my father got around, thank you very much." She sighed and then added curiously, "What about Sirius?"

"Sirius had one girlfriend the entire time I knew him," Remus answered. "They were together on and off for the first year or so, and then they finally decided to be exclusive. They were very happy together, until…" He heaved a sigh.

"Until what?" Lucy pressed, intrigued.

"Until she and her entire family were murdered during the first war," Remus answered quietly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Lucy gasped, her heart breaking for her godfather all over again.

There was a moment of silence before Tonks softly cleared her throat. "We should get back to deciding how many rooms we need to add to the house," she reminded them.

Lucy turned to Jeremy and asked, "What do you think?"

"Honestly?" Jeremy questioned, and Lucy nodded. "I think we should share. I know that even if we had separate rooms, one of us would end up going into the other's room every night. Might as well save ourselves the trouble."

Lucy gave him a small smile before looking back at Remus. "I guess we'll be sharing, then. Two bedrooms, please, and I think we can all handle sharing one bathroom between us." She glanced between Sally-Anne and Jeremy, who were both nodding in agreement.

"Two bedrooms it is, then," Remus said, rolling up the sleeves of his robes and pulling his wand out. He paused and added, "Not a _word_ to Molly about this, though; agreed?"

"Agreed," the other four chorused.

**~LJ:TW~**

It didn't take Remus long to add two bedrooms and another bathroom onto the cabin. When he was finished, though, they realized that they didn't have any furniture to put in the rooms. Remus and Tonks spent the greater part of the evening furnishing the new rooms, and it was quite late before Lucy and Jeremy were finally able to lug their trunks into their bedroom. It was a modestly-sized room, with enough space for a double bed, two side tables, and a wardrobe against the far wall.

"So, which side of the bed do you want?" Lucy asked, feeling nervous for a reason she couldn't explain.

"Doesn't matter to me," Jeremy said with a shrug. Then he flopped down onto the bed and rolled over between the sides, testing it out. Eventually, he settled on one spot on the bed with an exaggerated sigh of contentment.

"Found your side, then?" Lucy questioned, shaking her head but smiling all the same.

"This one will do," Jeremy confirmed before reaching up and grabbing her arm. He gently tugged her down next to him and added, "As long as you're okay with sleeping right here next to me, of course."

Lucy laughed. She brushed his hair off his forehead, marveling at the softness of it, and stared into his eyes. They were light and danced with mirth.

"All right, I guess I can sleep here," Lucy said. Her smile dimmed, and she went on, "Are you happy that you came home with me?"

"Are you joking?" Jeremy said. "Of _course_ I am. You have _no_ idea how much better it is to be here… with you."

"It's hard to believe that we buried Dumbledore this morning," Lucy said quietly. She swallowed the lump that seemed to grow in her throat at the mention of the funeral. "How did things get so fucked up?"

"You-Know-Who," Jeremy answered, taking a turn to run his hand through Lucy's hair. "Blood purists thinking that they're better than everyone else—and now they have someone they can rally behind."

They laid together on the bed for a few minutes in silence, cuddling together in each other's arms. It felt nice to be able to lie together on a _bed_; Lucy realized that they had never enjoyed such a comfort before. They had always used a nest of cushions in an empty classroom.…

Lucy's face heated as she thought about their more intimate moments, and Jeremy shifted to look at her in confusion and concern. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yes, I—I was just thinking," Lucy replied.

"About?" Jeremy prodded.

"About the times we spent together in those empty classrooms," Lucy answered in a whisper.

"Hmm," Jeremy hummed. He smirked down at her and went on, "Those were some good times, wouldn't you agree?"

Lucy rolled her eyes playfully but nodded.

"We could make some more good memories right here in this bed, too," Jeremy said, his voice taking on a husky tone.

Lucy put her hand gently on his, which had been inching its way towards the hem of her shirt. "I agree," she said slowly, "but not tonight. I just can't—it doesn't seem right after what happened today." She looked up at Jeremy warily.

"Okay," he said, surprising Lucy. He smiled gently down at her before cupping her cheek with one of his hands and kissing her softly.

"I have to admit that I expected you to put up a bit of a fight," Lucy said after he pulled away.

"I'm not _that_ much of an asshole," Jeremy argued.

"Hmm," Lucy said. "I suppose you're not." Jeremy flicked her nose, and Lucy batted his hand away before saying, "C'mon. Let's get ready for bed."

**~LJ:TW~**

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_**A/N: This story picks up right where the other one left off. I will give you a bit of a warning: most of the action in this story is at the beginning and the end. You'll see what I mean as we go.**_

_**When I think of Remus adding extra rooms onto the cabin, I imagine the third Halloweentown movie (Halloweentown High) and Marnie's mom using magic to add the rooms for the exchange students at their house.**_

_**Love the conversation Lucy has with Remus about how many bedrooms they'll need. I especially enjoy the little insight to his past, along with James and Sirius. I think Lucy craves information about her parents and, by extension, their friends.**_


	2. 2: Love is in the Air

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

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**Chapter 2 – Love is in the Air**

Lucy was woken up on her first morning at Sirius's cabin to the sound of someone screaming. She shot up out of bed and lunged for the bedroom door.

"Wha—?" Jeremy said groggily behind her.

Lucy ignored him and sprinted into the sitting room. There she found Tonks standing with both her hands over her mouth and staring at Remus, who was on one knee in front of her. Lucy's eyes widened first in shock and then in excitement.

"Yes! Yes!" Tonks was shouting.

Remus stood up and slipped the ring onto her finger. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, and his attention turned to Lucy, who was still standing in the room with her mouth hanging open.

"What's happening?" Sally-Anne and Jeremy had exited their rooms and joined Lucy.

"I'm so sorry that we woke you all up," Remus said. "I've just asked Dora to marry me—"

"And I said _yes,_ of course!" Tonks finished, pulling away from her fiancé and holding her hand out so the other three could get a closer look. "There's so much planning to do! I think we're going to keep it very quiet and small—just us and my parents. Oh, and the three of you, of course."

"The three of us?" Sally-Anne repeated.

"Well, you _live_ here, after all," Tonks said. "If we get married here, it would seem rude to not let you be a part of it. Besides, we need _someone_ to be witnesses." She beamed at Remus before going to the dining room table and sitting down with a piece of parchment in front of her.

"Congratulations, truly," Lucy said, going to her uncle and giving him a big hug. "I'm so happy that you're going to be happy."

"Thank you, Lucy," Remus said.

"So, who else is going to be invited?" Lucy asked. "The Weasleys? Harry?"

"Er—probably not," Remus answered. "Now that Dumbledore is—no longer with us… the Order has decided that we'll be adding additional security to our houses. Here, the Burrow, Dora's parents' place, the Weasley's Auntie Muriel's.… It would be more of a hassle to get everyone here."

"The Weasleys are having everyone over to the Burrow for Bill's wedding," Lucy pointed out.

"True, but they've been planning their wedding since before everything happened," Remus replied.

"Well, it's up to the two of you, of course," Lucy conceded. "I'm just honored that you'll let me be a part of it." She smiled.

"Does anyone want breakfast now that you're all awake?" Tonks spoke up from her spot at the table.

**~LJ:TW~**

Within fifteen minutes, the five of them were settling around the table with breakfast in front of them. There was silence for a while as they all piled their plates high with eggs and bacon.

"I talked to Molly this morning," Remus began conversationally.

"Already?" Lucy asked. "We haven't even been home for an entire day yet!"

"You know how she gets," Remus said with a shrug. "Anyway, we've decided that the three of you will come with us to the Burrow during Order meetings. You're not _invited_ to the meetings," he added as Lucy opened her mouth, "but we don't want you left here alone and undefended while Dora and I are away."

"I don't know why Molly is so adamant that they can't be involved at the meetings," Tonks said, shaking her head. "Fred and George are just going to tell them everything that was said. Besides, they're all seventeen—or nearly seventeen."

"It's not my decision," Remus said. "Anyway, there's a meeting tonight at the Burrow."

"Why not Grimmauld Place?" Lucy asked. "I thought it was all right for you to use, since it belongs to Harry."

"Well, unfortunately, when Dumbledore—passed away—see, he was the Secret-Keeper," Remus started to explain. "When a Secret-Keeper of a location under a Fidelius Charm has died, everyone they told the secret to now becomes a Secret-Keeper. Which means that everyone in the Order is one—including Snape."

Lucy scowled at the mention of the name.

"Naturally, we don't want to keep using a place as headquarters where You-Know-Who could easily burst in while we're all there," Tonks went on. "The Burrow has already had extra protection cast onto it—short of using a Secret-Keeper, though—so we'll be meeting there for the time being."

"We'll be going over there tonight," Remus finished. "Molly's offered to make dinner, as well, so we may be there for a while. Just wanted to give you all a heads up."

**~LJ:TW~**

"Oh, Lucy, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, giving Lucy a nearly bone-crushing hug.

"Hi, Mrs. Weasley," Lucy gasped. She patted the woman on the back a few times until Mrs. Weasley loosened her hold. Lucy added, "It's good to see you."

"Are you sure you don't want to come and stay here with us?" Mrs. Weasley asked, pulling away.

"We've been over this, Mrs. Weasley," Lucy said gently. "You don't need the extra mouths to feed, especially now that you're going to be hosting the Order meetings, too. We'll be fine."

Mrs. Weasley moved on to welcome Remus and Tonks, and she shrieked when Tonks showed her the new ring on her finger. "Oh, this is wonderful!" Mrs. Weasley gushed. "Congratulations, both of you! Arthur—!"

Lucy chuckled before heading deeper into the house. Jeremy and Sally-Anne followed behind her. In the sitting room, they met up with Ron, Ginny, and their older twin brothers Fred and George. Lucy launched herself into the arms of the twins, giving them her usual enthusiastic greeting.

"Mum said that you all would be here," Ginny said. "I guess they still don't fully trust us, do they?"

"Maybe not, but our house doesn't have the same full protection as the Burrow does," Lucy said. "I can understand why they would be concerned about leaving us behind."

Lucy continued to catch up with the twins for a few minutes as the rest of the Order members arrived. When Sally-Anne's older sister Becky appeared, Sally-Anne went over to greet her, and then returned soon after.

Eventually, everyone was gathered around in the sitting room.

"We're calling this meeting to order," Moody spoke up from the front of the room.

"Er—did you want us to leave?" Ron spoke up, cringing as he did so.

"No, Ron," Moody said. "After some discussion, we knew that a few certain individuals—" He looked pointedly at the Weasley twins. "—would likely tell you everything that you wanted to know. Therefore, you will be allowed to stay, as long as you keep your mouths shut. Can you do that?" He looked between the Hogwarts students, who all nodded their understanding.

"First order of business tonight is to agree on the list of safe houses to be given more protection should the Ministry fall under You-Know-Who's influence," Moody began.

**~LJ:TW~**

The meeting lasted for an hour and a half straight before their last topic was brought up.

"The moving of Harry Potter out of his uncle's house and here to the Burrow," Moody said.

"You-Know-Who will most likely think we'll try to move him on his seventeenth birthday," Mr. Weasley spoke up. "After all, that's when the spells protecting him there will drop. I suggest we remove him from the house a few days prior to his birthday, so we don't give You-Know-Who that opportunity."

"There's also the matter of protecting his family," another Order member added. "You-Know-Who is likely to use them to try and get to Harry if we leave them to fend for themselves."

"The easiest way to get Harry would be for someone to meet him at his house and pick him up by Side-Along Apparition," Moody said. "I can do that easily enough. Then, once he's here, it will be far too risky for the other side to try and get at him. As for his Muggle family, we can take them to an Order safe house far away from their home. Hopefully, they'll remain out of Voldemort's reach until we can find a way to beat him."

Lucy tentatively rose her hand; she wasn't sure if they were going to be looking for her opinion, since she wasn't technically part of the Order.

"Go ahead, Lucy," Moody said, nodding at her.

"Well, Harry was talking about wanting to leave the Dursleys as soon as he could," Lucy said. "We all know how he can get—he doesn't like getting other people involved if he can help it. Maybe—maybe someone should tell him about the plan to get him to the Burrow. Then he might not try coming on his own."

"Good point, Lucy," Moody said, surprising her. "Let's see.… Would anybody be willing to go over to Harry's house and explain the plan that we've made?"

Mr. Weasley and Kingsley were chosen to visit Harry's house to talk to him and his family. Then the meeting was adjourned, and Order members started to file out of the house.

Mrs. Weasley bustled around the kitchen, fixing up dinner for those members who'd stayed. Soon, they were all crowded around the kitchen table, talking and laughing as though there wasn't a giant threat looming over all their heads.

**~LJ:TW~**

It finally felt as though the summer had started. The extra protective enchantments had been placed on their cabin in the woods, and it was disconnected from the Floo Network. Thankfully, the protective charms extended over the widespread garden, so Lucy, Sally-Anne, and Jeremy could spend time outside and get fresh air.

They continued to attend Order meetings at the Burrow. Lucy usually sat off to the side with Sally-Anne, Jeremy, Ron, and Ginny. They kept their mouths shut, just as Moody had requested, and they were learning quite a lot. The most alarming thing that they found out was that Voldemort's forces were working on infiltrating the Ministry as soon as possible. As a result, the Order were hesitant to trust the Ministry.

About a week after their holidays had started, Hermione finally rejoined them at the Burrow. Tonks had Apparated Lucy over for the special occasion. Lucy was very excited and relieved to see her friend somewhere safe and in one piece.

"How are your parents?" Lucy asked after giving Hermione a very tight hug.

"They're good," Hermione answered, her smile dimming. "They've—decided to go on holiday for a while."

"That's nice for them," Lucy said. "Any reason why you aren't going with them?"

"Oh, I just feel like I'm needed here," Hermione brushed off.

When she turned away to greet Ginny, Lucy stared at the back of her head suspiciously. Something seemed off about Hermione's attitude towards her parents.

**~LJ:TW~**

Another week later, Lucy and Sally-Anne were in Tonks's and Remus's bedroom with the older witch, helping her get ready.

"Are you sure the pink hair is okay?" Tonks asked for what Lucy felt was the hundredth time.

"Of _course_," Lucy said. She was sitting behind Tonks, twisting the witch's hair into a braid. "If Remus didn't like your pink hair, don't you think he'd've pointed it out by now? Besides, if he didn't like it, you wouldn't be marrying him today, would you?"

"Fair point," Tonks said with a smirk.

"I wish I had pink hair," Sally-Anne added.

"Really?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah," Sally-Anne answered. "I think it'd be cool.… Plus, I'm pretty sure I could pull it off. Mum used to change our hair color when we were younger—only when we were at home, though. Dad wouldn't let us leave the house with pastel-colored hair." A look of pain crossed her face.

"Are you all right?" Lucy asked immediately, abandoning Tonks's hair for a moment to turn to her friend.

"I'm fine," Sally-Anne replied. "I—I miss my dad. I don't regret coming with you for the summer, but from time to time, I wonder how he's doing." She paused and added, "Becky has seen him, and she tried to explain to him why I didn't come home. She said that he's worried about me, except it's not in a _worried for my safety_ way; he's worried that I'm going through some kind of rebellious phase." She rolled her eyes.

"Your dad knows about what's going on, doesn't he?" Lucy questioned, returning her attention to Tonks's hair.

"He's been told, but I don't think he understands the severity of it," Sally-Anne responded. "Regardless, he would've tried to keep me at home this year, and he wouldn't care one bit that I'm technically an adult in the Wizarding world. In the Muggle world, we're still underage, you know."

"I know," Lucy said with a nod. "All right, Tonks. How's this?" She spun the chair Tonks was sitting in, so that the woman could look into the mirror.

"Oh!" Tonks gasped. "Lucy, thank you. I love it." There was moisture forming in the corners of her eyes.

"None of that!" Sally-Anne scolded playfully, handing a handkerchief over. "You're going to ruin your makeup if you start crying."

"I can't help it," Tonks said. She dabbed at her eyes, but her smile lit up her entire face. "I'm just so happy that this day is here. You know, I never imagined how my wedding day was going to be, but this is turning out so perfectly."

"I'm glad you're happy," Lucy said, grinning back. "And I'm glad you like the braid crown. Believe it or not, I've never actually done one before, so thanks for being my test subject." She stood up and said, "Shall we get you into your dress?"

It only took a few minutes to get Tonks into her cream-colored dress. She started to look choked up again, and so Lucy decided it was time to see if Remus and Jeremy were ready.

"How's everything?" Jeremy asked when Lucy joined him in the kitchen. He pecked her on the mouth.

"She looks absolutely gorgeous in her dress," Lucy replied, winking at Remus, who was pacing back and forth in the sitting room.

"Of course she does," he said, sounding distracted.

"What's wrong, Remus?" Lucy asked.

"I just—I—I don't want her to be throwing her life away just to be with me," Remus replied, tugging his hair with his hands.

Lucy walked up to him and grabbed his wrists, pulling his hands away. "She's _not_ throwing her life away to be with you," she reminded him. "She loves you, and you love her. She's ready to prove it; are you?"

Remus let out a long exhale before giving Lucy a small smile. "Yes," he agreed. "I am. Truly, I am. But I will always have these worries, that I'm not good enough for her."

"I know you will," Lucy said, "but I also know that _you're_ what she wants. Everything will be okay." She looked at Jeremy and asked, "Are you still okay to escort the officiant and Tonks's parents to the house?"

"Of course," Jeremy said, checking his watch. "In fact, I should probably go out and wait for them. I'll be back in a few."

Lucy moved over to him, reached up on her toes, and kissed him briefly. "Be careful, please."

"You know I will," Jeremy replied, tapping her gently on the nose. Then he left.

A bedroom door softly clicked shut, and Sally-Anne joined Lucy and Remus in the sitting room. "She's ready," she announced.

"Good," Lucy said. "Jeremy's just gone out to meet the officiant and Tonks's parents, and bring them in. Are you ready for this, Remus?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Remus replied.

Lucy ushered him out into the back garden, which she and Sally-Anne had spent all morning decorating—well, Sally-Anne had done most of the decorating, since she could use magic. Lucy had done more of the physical setting up and rearranging of things.

"I—wow," Remus said, looking around. "You girls did all this?"

"Yes," Sally-Anne responded, sounding pleased. "We'd hoped that you'd like it."

"It looks great," Remus said, a smile breaking over his face. "You know, at the risk of sounding cheesy, I think tonight is going to be magical."

**~LJ:TW~**

It wasn't much longer until Jeremy had returned to the house with the officiant and Tonks's parents in tow. The officiant was a short, middle-aged wizard, and he seemed like a pleasant man. He greeted Remus first, and then Lucy let him into the bedroom, so he could introduce himself to Tonks.

Tonks's parents greeted Remus warmly and introduced themselves to the girls as Andromeda and Ted. Lucy remembered that Sirius had told her about them once—and that Andromeda had been his favorite cousin. Then the Tonkses went to see their daughter.

Dusk was beginning to fall, creating a lovely glow over the garden. Remus took his spot under the arch that Lucy and Sally-Anne had set up, and the officiant stood behind him. Lucy, Jeremy, and Sally-Anne stood on Remus's side of the aisle.

Tonks appeared at the patio door with her parents. She took both of their offered arms, and the three of them walked up the aisle towards Remus and the officiant. A warm, happy feeling filled Lucy's chest as she watched Tonks walk forward, her smile radiant. Then Lucy looked at Remus, who was also looking as though this truly was the best day of his life. His happiness somehow made him seem younger—or, really, closer to his actual age.

When Tonks had reached the arch, she embraced both her mother and father. Andromeda and Ted stood across the aisle from Lucy, Jeremy, and Sally-Anne, while Tonks took Remus's hand and stood next to him.

The officiant began the ceremony, and he kept it simple and very brief. Tonks and Remus exchanged their vows and their rings, and soon, the officiant was declaring them married. Tonks threw her arms ecstatically around her new husband's neck, and kissed him enthusiastically. Everyone in attendance chuckled as they applauded.

**~LJ:TW~**

It was a beautiful, warm evening for them to celebrate a new marriage. The officiant had left once all the proper paperwork had been signed, and Lucy and Sally-Anne began to prepare dinner. Andromeda soon offered her help, which the girls gratefully accepted.

Meanwhile, Jeremy had volunteered to set up the table in the garden so that they could eat under the stars. The lanterns that Sally-Anne had conjured around the yard for decoration were lit, and some soft music could be heard coming from the radio.

It didn't take long for dinner to be ready, and Lucy, Sally-Anne, and Andromeda brought it out to the table. Jeremy, Remus, Tonks, and Ted were already sitting, and once the other three joined them, they all enjoyed the meal.

After dinner, they brought out the wedding cake. Remus and Tonks cut a piece, and both fed the other a bite before the rest helped themselves.

The evening quickly wound down, and soon Andromeda and Ted were bidding them all good night. Once they were gone, Tonks and Remus slipped into their bedroom, leaving Lucy, Jeremy, and Sally-Anne sitting in the garden.

"I hope they cast some kind of soundproofing charm on their room," Sally-Anne said, giggling. "I mean, Tonks seems like the kind of person who wouldn't really mind if she was overheard, but I think Remus would die of embarrassment if we heard them."

"I'm sure they did," Lucy said. "I don't know if he'd be quite as embarrassed as we might think, but Remus isn't stupid, either."

Jeremy was quiet, holding his drink in his hand.

"What's up?" Lucy asked. She knew him well enough that she could tell when something was bothering him.

"I just—it's still weird to me," Jeremy replied. "Growing up, my parents had their own separate wings in the family home. They _never_ slept in the same room—hell, they didn't even sleep on the same _floor_. And I thought that this was _normal_. The first time I heard that someone's parents slept in the same room… I was shocked, to say the least. It took me a long time to realize that _that_ was normal, and living in completely separate areas of the house was the weird thing for a husband and wife to do. It still surprises me, even now, when I hear about a married couple sharing a room."

"You and Lucy are sharing a room now, though," Sally-Anne pointed out, "and _you_ were the one to suggest it."

"Yeah, but we're not married," Jeremy said with a shrug.

"For now," Sally-Anne murmured with a smirk before taking a deep drink from her cup.

Lucy flushed. Every once in a while, the thought of getting married crossed her mind, but there was no way that she was ready for that—nor was Jeremy.

"I had a… flawed perspective about marriage growing up," Jeremy explained. "I never really learned that marriage is something that two people do when they love each other. Marriage was about creating heirs for your bloodline—someone to continue the family name. Everyone in my mother's family had respectable marriages to other purebloods—except my aunt Zoé."

"Nobody in your family married for love?" Lucy asked.

"Nope," Jeremy answered simply. "But I plan to change that." He winked at Lucy, who blushed again.

"Anyway," Sally-Anne cut in, "I think I'm going to head to bed." She stood up and stretched. "Oh! And if you're going to copy Remus and Tonks tonight, _please_ use a soundproof charm—we share a wall, you know."

"Maybe we will; maybe we won't," Lucy retorted. She stuck her tongue out at Sally-Anne, who just gave them a cheerful wave before disappearing into the house.

"Would you like to go in and get ready for bed, too?" Jeremy asked.

"Yeah, I suppose," Lucy sighed. She stood up and held her hand out to Jeremy, who took it. She tugged him to his feet.

They went into the house, shutting and locking the patio door behind them. Then they took turns using the bathroom before rejoining one another in their room.

Lucy cuddled up into Jeremy's side as they laid in bed. "It was a nice day today, wasn't it?" she asked in a whisper.

"It was great," Jeremy agreed, smiling down at her. He waved his wand a few times without saying anything, and then he set it on his bedside table.

"What was that?" Lucy asked, looking at him slyly.

"Oh, I thought I'd take Sally-Anne's advice," Jeremy replied. He slipped his hands under her shirt and pulled her on top of him. "You looked really beautiful in your dress today, you know," he went on. "I'm kind of disappointed that you took it off before I had a chance to."

"Would you like me to go put it back on for you?" Lucy asked teasingly.

"No, that's okay," Jeremy answered huskily. He grabbed the hem of her shirt and gently pulled it over her head. "See? You're already half undressed." He grinned at her, and she smirked back at him. Then his eyes wandered down her torso.

"Like what you see?" Lucy drawled.

"You know it," Jeremy said. The he rolled them over, so that he was gently pinning Lucy down in the bed. Leaning down, he kissed her sweetly before breathing in her ear, "I think it's about time we christen this bed, don't you?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Lucy said cheekily.

"I love you," Jeremy whispered before capturing her lips with his once more.

"I love you, too," Lucy replied when they came up for air.

Their talking ceased as their mouths became otherwise preoccupied.

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: I really liked the idea that Remus calls Tonks something other than Tonks. I think him calling her Dora makes it special and sweet, and he's one of the very few people who get to call her that.**_

_**It seems like Remus and Tonks get married extremely quickly, but they were already married by the time everyone went to rescue Harry from the Burrow, so...**_

_**So, a bit more about Jeremy's parents: Jeremy's mother Eveline is, as has already been pointed out, French. Her parents had known Gareth Whitlock's parents for a long time. Gareth and Eveline were set up together by their families after they had both finished school but hadn't found anyone to settle down with. I would imagine that Gareth agreed to the coupling because he needed a pretty trophy wife he could show off and produce an heir with, while Eveline only wanted to please her parents by making a respectable marriage. I'd say at one point, they were both fond of one another, but neither of them ever fell in love with the other. Gareth gave Eveline whatever she wanted, especially after she gave him a son to continue the family name. Jeremy rarely saw them being affectionate towards one another, and as he states in this chapter, they had separate living arrangements in their house.**_

_**There used to be an explicit scene at the end of this chapter - a lemon, if you will. (Do they still call them lemons?) I didn't necessarily think it was badly written nor was I embarrassed by it, but it just didn't flow as well as I wanted it to. So I cut the scene out and did another fade-to-black break.**_


	3. 3: The Rescue Mission

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 3 – The Rescue Mission**

The summer went on. Lucy, Jeremy, and Sally-Anne spent many days outside—when the weather was nice—and many nights at the Burrow with the Order. It was a bit repetitive, but Lucy wouldn't have it any other way. She was just glad that she got to spend the summer with her friends.

As it got closer to Lucy's—and therefore Harry's—seventeenth birthday, Moody surprised them by saying that there had been a change of plan for picking Harry up. He would still get picked up a week before his birthday, and his relatives would be taken into hiding at the same time. However, the method in which he was going to be removed from the house was changing.

"It has come to my attention that, no matter how many days before his birthday, it wouldn't be safe if only one of us goes to retrieve Harry," Moody announced. "Therefore, we will be using decoys. Six of us will take Polyjuice Potion with Harry's hair in it. Then there will be seven protectors, one with each of the decoys and the real Harry."

"Excuse me, Professor," Hermione spoke up; she had never gotten out of the habit of calling him Professor Moody. "I know it's not necessarily my place to question the Order's decisions, but if you tell Harry that you're going to have people drink Polyjuice Potion to become his lookalikes, he won't let you do it."

"He won't have a choice," Moody said shortly. "If he understands what's at stake, he'll cooperate. Now, for the decoy Potters: Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, Fleur, and Mundungus."

Mundungus Fletcher looked up with alarm on his face. "Wha'?" he gulped. "But—I don't—"

"Stuff it, Mundungus," Moody growled at him. "This was your idea, after all. So, the protectors—"

"Wait a minute," Lucy spoke up loudly. "Why can't I be one of the decoys?"

"You've still got the Trace on you," Moody said dismissively. "If you have to use any magic, the Ministry will know."

"I'll be surrounded by other Order members!" Lucy cried indignantly, shooting up out of her chair. "They won't know which person performed the magic!" Moody shook his head at her before turning back to the room at large, but before he could speak, Lucy insisted, "I just want to _help_! He's _my brother_!"

"You're not old enough, Jones!" Moody snapped back with authority. "Sit down!"

Glowering, yet knowing that she was going to lose this battle, Lucy flung herself back into her seat. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Now, onto the protectors," Moody went on. "Kingsley will be with Hermione—Tonks will be with Ron—Arthur with Fred—Remus and George—Bill and Fleur—and I'll be with Mundungus. As for Harry, he'll be with Hagrid. We'll all leave from Harry's uncle's house at the same time and will be splitting up. Each pair will go to a different safe house and then take a Portkey that will return them here to the Burrow. Any questions?"

There were a few more details hashed out, and then they discussed where they would be taking the Dursleys into hiding.

"Well, if that's all, then this meeting is adjourned," Moody said. "Those of us picking Harry up will meet here at the Burrow in two days."

**~LJ:TW~**

Two evenings later, Remus and Tonks Apparated to the Burrow with Lucy, Jeremy, and Sally-Anne in tow. Moody gathered them to go over the plan once more, to make sure they all knew what was happening.

"Does everyone know their assignment?" Moody questioned when he was finished.

"Are you sure I can't help?" Lucy piped up from where she was sitting.

"You can help by being here and greeting us when we get back," Moody said shortly. When he'd turned his back on her, Lucy stuck her tongue out at the back of his head. "I SAW THAT!" Moody shouted without looking at her.

"Damn magical eye," Lucy grumbled.

"Right, then," Moody barked. "As long as we all stick to the plan, we should be able to pull this off without a hitch. We need to leave in two minutes." He turned to Mrs. Weasley and said, "Molly, will you be all right waiting here for everyone to get back?"

"Yes, of course," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Then we'll be off," Moody said.

Lucy huffed, slumping in her seat as almost everyone around her rose from their chairs. Hermione and Ron came over to her, looking at her apologetically.

"We know you want to help," Hermione said, "but this really is for the best. We don't want to get the Ministry involved if we can help it."

"I know," Lucy mumbled. "I just hate sitting on the sidelines!"

"We'll all be back before you know it," Ron said encouragingly.

"Yeah, well," Lucy said, shrugging. Then she stood up and hugged both of her friends tightly. "Be safe."

"We'll be fine," Ron said, grinning.

Hermione also smiled, and the two of them left the Burrow for the garden where the Order was gathering to leave. Lucy felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you all right?" Jeremy asked, standing close to her.

Lucy nodded, feeling calmer now that he was near. "I just don't want any of them to get hurt," she said. She watched as the Order members in the garden moved to the edge of the Weasley's property.

"They'll be okay," Jeremy said, gently turning Lucy to face him. He took her face in both of his hands and smiled at her. Lucy smiled back, and Jeremy lowered his mouth onto hers.

"Ew," a voice said as Jeremy and Lucy pulled apart.

Jeremy dropped his hands from Lucy's face as she glanced over to see Sally-Anne joining them.

"Get a room," Sally-Anne added jokingly.

Lucy smirked at her. "Maybe later," she said.

Jeremy chuckled, and Sally-Anne groaned and pressed her hands over her ears.

Lucy turned to the window, noticing that the Order outside had Disapparated, leaving the Burrow quiet. The three of them, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley were the only ones left. Mrs. Weasley hurried into the kitchen to busy herself, and Lucy knew that she was trying to keep her mind off the mission that most of her family was now on.

Ginny joined the other three in the sitting room. She sat down on one couch, and Jeremy and Sally-Anne sat on the other.

Lucy dropped down next to Ginny. "Pardon my French, but this is such bullshit," Lucy commented. "Doing underage magic should be the least of our worries right now." Ginny stayed quiet, and Lucy asked, "Don't you wish you could be helping?" Lucy had been surprised when Ginny hadn't protested having to stay behind.

Ginny shrugged. "Yes, I guess," she said. "Seeing Harry is going to be weird."

Lucy gave Ginny a sympathetic look. Harry and Ginny had been dating for the last few weeks of the previous school year, but Harry had split up with her in an attempt to keep her safe.

Ginny sighed and added, "I just hope everyone gets back safely."

"The Death Eaters don't know that we're moving Harry tonight," Lucy said. "That's what the Order keep saying, anyway. There shouldn't be any problems."

"Well, if there weren't going to be any problems, we wouldn't have needed such an elaborate plan in place," Ginny pointed out. "I have a bad feeling about all of this."

There was silence for a while. There was really nothing any of them could do besides wait for the others to return. They could hear Mrs. Weasley bustling around in the kitchen, but none of them could bring themselves to see if she needed any help.

**~LJ:TW~**

It seemed as though time had slowed down. Every time Lucy looked at the clock, she swore it wasn't even moving.

Eventually, Ginny stood up and began to pace the sitting room floor.

Lucy looked up at her, startled. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"Ron and Tonks should be here any minute," Ginny said, looking at her watch.

"Come on," Lucy said, getting to her feet. "We'll go out in the garden to wait for them."

Jeremy and Sally-Anne decided to wait in the house, and Lucy and Ginny went out into the yard. They stood near the back door and watched impatiently for any sign of the Order members to return.

About a minute after they had left the house, there was a blue light. Lucy and Ginny looked forward eagerly, but all that appeared was an old oil can that fell to the grass.

"Where are Ron and Tonks?" Lucy asked anxiously. "Why didn't they take their Portkey?"

Ginny, looking pale, didn't answer.

They waited for another few minutes, and there was a blue light again. The same thing occurred, this time with an old sneaker.

"That should have been Fred and Dad," Ginny said, putting a hand to her mouth. "I've got to go tell Mum—"

But she didn't move, and she and Lucy continued to stare at the spot where the Portkeys had landed. Then, after another couple minutes, a third blue light appeared, growing brighter by the second.

"Mum!" Ginny shouted into the house as Lucy took a few steps forward.

A giant man had appeared, with a young man next to him. The two of them collapsed to the ground, and Lucy sprinted forward.

"Harry!" she exclaimed as Harry got to his feet, wincing. She threw herself at him, pulling him into a hug. "Oh, thank Merlin, you're all right." She could hear Mrs. Weasley and Ginny hurrying towards them, but she was too relieved that her brother was standing in front of her in one piece.

"You're the real Harry?" Mrs. Weasley asked as Lucy finally stepped back. "What happened? Where are the others?"

Jeremy and Sally-Anne ran out of the house behind Mrs. Weasley.

"What d'you mean?" Harry asked. "Isn't anyone else back?" He looked between Lucy, Mrs. Weasley, and Ginny; none of them knew how to answer him. "The Death Eaters were waiting for us," Harry explained. "We were surrounded the moment we took off—they knew it was tonight. I don't know what happened to anyone else. Four of them chased us—it was all we could do to get away, and then Voldemort caught up with us—"

"_Voldemort_?" Lucy repeated.

"Thank goodness you're all right," Mrs. Weasley said, hugging Harry.

Lucy could see the pained expression on Harry's face, however.

"Haven't go' any brandy, have yeh, Molly?" Hagrid asked. "Fer medicinal purposes?"

Mrs. Weasley turned immediately and went back into the house. Harry looked at Lucy and Ginny helplessly, the questions written all over his face.

"Ron and Tonks should have been back first," Lucy said, pointing towards the oil can. "That was supposed to be their Portkey, but they missed it."

"And that one should have been Dad's and Fred's," Ginny continued, gesturing to the sneaker. "They were supposed to be second. You and Hagrid were third, and, if they made it, George and Lupin ought to be back in about a minute."

Mrs. Weasley came back into the yard, carrying a bottle of brandy for Hagrid. She gave it to him, and he immediately drain its contents.

"Look!" Ginny shouted.

The blue light had appeared again, and after a few seconds, two bodies had appeared, tumbling to the grass.

"George!" Lucy exclaimed, running forward. "Remus!"

Harry was right behind her. Remus was struggling to support George, who was unconscious. Harry wordlessly grabbed George's feet, and he and Remus carried George's still form into the house. Lucy, Ginny, Jeremy, and Sally-Anne hurried after them, and when Remus and Harry laid George on the couch, they could finally see what was causing all the blood dripping down the side of his face.

One of George's ears was gone. Ginny gasped, and Lucy couldn't help the whimper that escaped her. George was one of her best friends, and it was hard to see him slumped on the couch with an alarming amount of blood dribbling from the hole in his head. Mrs. Weasley hurried to her son.

Then, suddenly, Remus wrenched Harry backward and into the kitchen.

"Remus! What are you doing?" Lucy asked, alarmed.

"Oy!" Hagrid called from the door he was trying to get through. "Le' go o' him! Le' go o' Harry!"

"What creature sat in the corner the first time that Harry Potter visited my office at Hogwarts?" Remus asked, ignoring both Lucy and Hagrid. "Answer me!"

"A—a grindylow in a tank, wasn't it?" Harry said, bewildered.

Remus let go of Harry, looking suddenly drained.

"Wha' was tha' about?" Hagrid asked loudly.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I had to check," Remus said. "We've been betrayed. Voldemort knew that you were being moved tonight, and the only people who could have told him were directly involved in the plan. You might have been an impostor."

"So why aren' yeh checkin' me?" Hagrid asked.

"You're half-giant," Remus replied. "The Polyjuice Potion is designed for human use only."

"None of the Order would have told Voldemort we were moving tonight," Harry said with certainty. "Voldemort only caught up with me toward the end; he didn't know which one I was in the beginning. If he'd been in on the plan, he'd have known from the start I was the one with Hagrid."

"Voldemort caught up with you?" Remus asked. "What happened? How did you escape?"

Harry explained everything that had happened between leaving his aunt's and uncle's house and arriving at the Burrow.

"They recognized you?" Remus asked, frowning. "But how? What had you done?"

"I…" Harry trailed off, concentrating for a moment. "I saw Stan Shunpike—you know, the bloke who was the conductor on the Knight Bus. And I tried to Disarm him instead of—well, he doesn't know what he's doing, does he? He must be Imperiused!"

"Harry, the time for Disarming is past!" Remus said, almost impatiently. "These people are trying to capture and kill you! At least Stun if you aren't prepared to kill!"

"We were hundreds of feet up!" Harry argued. "Stan's not himself, and if I'd Stunned him and he'd fallen, he'd have died the same as if I'd used _Avada_ _Kedavra_! _Expelliarmus_ saved me from Voldemort two years ago."

"Yes, Harry, and a great number of Death Eaters witnessed that happening!" Remus said. "Forgive me, but it was a very unusual move then under imminent threat of death. Repeating it tonight in front of Death Eaters who either witnessed or heard about the first occasion was close to suicidal!"

"So you think I should have killed Stan Shunpike?" Harry asked.

"Of course not," Remus said, "but the Death Eaters—frankly, most people!—would have expected you to attack back! _Expelliarmus_ is a useful spell, Harry, but the Death Eaters seem to think it is your signature move, and I urge you not to let it become so!"

"I won't blast people out of my way just because they're there," Harry stated. "That's Voldemort's job."

There was distraction then as Hagrid finally was able to pull himself into the kitchen. He sat down on a chair, which immediately broke beneath him. He mumbled his apologies under his breath.

"Will George be okay?" Lucy spoke up.

Remus looked over at her. "I think so," he said, "although there's no chance of replacing his ear—not when it's been cursed off—"

There was a noise outside in the garden, and Remus lunged towards the back door. He threw it open and went out into the yard, followed by Lucy and Harry.

Standing in the middle of the yard and looking windswept but otherwise unharmed, Kingsley and Hermione had just appeared, holding onto a wire hanger. Remus and Kingsley whipped their wands out, pointing them at each other, while Hermione ran forward and hugged Harry.

"What were the last words Albus Dumbledore spoke to the pair of us?" Kingsley asked.

"_Harry is the best hope we have. Trust him_," Remus replied. Kingsley then turned his wand towards Harry, but Remus quickly said, "It's him! I've checked!"

"All right, all right!" Kingsley said, putting his wand away. "But _somebody_ betrayed us! They knew! They knew it was tonight!"

"So it seems," Remus agreed, "but apparently they did not realize there would be seven Harrys."

"Small comfort!" Kingsley huffed. "Who else is back?"

"Only Harry, Hagrid, George, and Remus," Lucy reported, now hugging Hermione tightly, who gave a little gasp at that news.

"What happened to you?" Remus asked Kingsley.

"Followed by five, injured two, might've killed one," Kingsley replied, "and we saw Voldemort, as well. He joined the chase halfway through, but vanished pretty quickly. Remus, he can—"

"Fly," Harry said. "I saw him, too. He came after Hagrid and me."

"So, _that's_ why he left—to follow you!" Kingsley said. "I couldn't understand why he'd vanished. But what made him change targets?"

"Harry behaved a little too kindly to Stan Shunpike," Remus said.

"Stan?" Hermione asked. "But I thought he was in Azkaban.…"

Kingsley laughed without humor. "Hermione, there's obviously been a mass breakout which the Ministry has hushed up," he said. "Travers's hood fell off when I cursed him; he's supposed to be inside, too. But what happened to you, Remus? Where's George?"

"He's lost an ear," Remus answered.

"Lost an—?" Hermione echoed, looking faint.

"Snape's work," Remus added.

"_Snape_?" Harry cried. "You didn't say—!"

"He lost his hood during the chase," Remus said. "_Sectumsempra_ was always a specialty of Snape's. I wish I could say I'd paid him back in kind, but it was all I could do to keep George on the broom after he was injured; he was losing so much blood."

Tears appeared in Lucy's eyes, but she brushed them away impatiently. _George is all right—he's going to be all right._

There was silence as Lucy stood with her arm around Hermione's shoulders. The five of them stared up at the sky, but there was no sign of the others.

"Harry, give us a hand!"

Lucy glanced over her shoulder to see Hagrid attempting to exit the Burrow again. Harry turned back to the house, grabbed Hagrid's hand, and helped him through the doorway. Then Harry disappeared into the house, while Hagrid joined them in the yard.

"This wasn' how this nigh' was supposed ter happen," Hagrid said sorrowfully.

Lucy glanced at Hermione, who had tears silently sliding down her cheeks. "He'll be okay," Lucy murmured to her friend. "He'll be back any minute—you'll see." Hermione sniffed but didn't reply, and Lucy knew she was thinking about Ron.

There was a loud _crack_, disturbing the silence and making Lucy jump. Mr. Weasley and Fred had appeared just outside of the protective enchantments, and were now running into the garden, looking anxious.

"We missed our Portkey," Mr. Weasley panted. "I hope we haven't alarmed anyone. We're fine." He looked around at the others gathered in the yard and asked, "What's happened?"

"It's George," Remus said. "He's had an ear cursed off—"

Without another word, Mr. Weasley and Fred sprinted for the house. Kingsley attempted to block them from entering, brandishing his wand at Mr. Weasley.

"I'll prove who I am, Kingsley, after I've seen my son! Now back off, if you know what's good for you!" Mr. Weasley roared.

He and Fred disappeared into the house, leaving Kingsley looking shocked at the back door. Lucy almost laughed.

A moment later, Jeremy exited the house and joined Lucy, slipping his hand into hers. They, Hermione, Remus, and Hagrid went back to their watch of the sky. Kingsley continued pacing back and forth in front of them.

A few minutes later, Lucy saw Harry and Ginny join them out of the corner of her eye. "How's George?" she whispered to Ginny.

"He's awake," Ginny replied. "He'll be all right, but he'll always be missing his ear.… There's no way to fix that."

It was another few minutes, but then there was a broom flying towards the ground. Lucy saw Tonks and Ron sitting astride it, and as soon as they got to the ground, they both stumbled off it.

"Remus!" Tonks said, launching herself into Remus's arms.

Ron, meanwhile, walked towards Lucy, Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Jeremy. "You're okay," Ron said quietly, looking at Hermione in relief.

Hermione jumped towards him and hugged him hard. "I thought—I thought—" she stammered.

"'M all right," Ron said, returning the hug. "'M fine."

"Ron was great," Tonks said. "Wonderful. Stunned one of the Death Eaters—straight to the head—and when you're aiming at a moving target from a flying broom—"

"You did?" Hermione asked, still in Ron's arms.

"Always the tone of surprise," Ron said, pulling away from her. "Are we the last back?"

"No," Ginny said, "we're still waiting for Bill and Fleur, and Mad-Eye and Mundungus. I'm going to tell Mum and Dad you're okay, Ron—" She turned and went back into the house.

"So what kept you? What happened?" Remus asked.

"Bellatrix," Tonks replied. "She wants me quite as much as she wants Harry, Remus. She tried very hard to kill me. I just wish I'd got her; I owe Bellatrix. But we definitely injured Rodolphus.… Then we got to Ron's Auntie Muriel's, and we'd missed our Portkey, and she was fussing over us—" Remus nodded, although he looked unsatisfied, and Tonks looked around at the others in the yard, asking, "So, what happened to you lot?"

Harry, Hermione, and Kingsley told Tonks about what had happened to them, while Lucy and Jeremy stared at the sky.

"I'm going to have to get back to Downing Street. I should have been there an hour ago," Kingsley said eventually. "Let me know when they're back." Remus nodded, and Kingsley waved to all of them before leaving the yard. Then he Disapparated.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley exited the house then, hurrying towards Ron. They both hugged him.

"Thank you," Mrs. Weasley said to Remus and Tonks, "for our sons."

"Don't be silly, Molly," Tonks said.

"How's George?" Remus asked.

"What's wrong with him?" Ron questioned, frowning.

Mr. Weasley began, "He's lost—"

"Thestral!" Lucy exclaimed, pointing into the sky.

The creature landed a few feet away, carrying Bill and Fleur. They slid off its back, and Mrs. Weasley rushed towards her eldest son.

"Bill!" she said. "Thank God, thank God—!"

Bill accepted the hug from his mother, but he looked over her shoulder, his eyes landing on his father. "Mad-Eye's dead," he stated.

"No," Lucy breathed. Tears sprang to her eyes again; Moody couldn't be dead.

"We saw it," Bill continued, and Fleur nodded from next to him. "It happened just after we broke out of the circle; Mad-Eye and Dung were close by us. They were heading north, too. You-Know-Who—he can fly—went straight for them. Dung panicked—I heard him cry out—Mad-Eye tried to stop him, but he Disapparated. You-Know-Who's curse hit Mad-Eye full in the face. He fell backward off his broom and—there was nothing we could do—nothing—we had half a dozen of them on our own tail—"

"Of course you couldn't have done anything," Remus said gently.

Nobody said anything after that. All they could do was exchange shocked looks. Then, one by one, they all went back into the Burrow; there was nobody left to wait for. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley led the way. Lucy and Jeremy followed Remus and Tonks into the living room, where Fred, George, and Sally-Anne were laughing.

"What's wrong?" Fred asked immediately, noticing the looks on all their faces. "What's happened? Who's—?"

"Mad-Eye," Mr. Weasley said. "Dead."

Bill strode across the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of Firewhiskey. Then, with a wave of his wand, he filled a bunch of glasses and levitated them to everyone in the room. "Here," he said.

Lucy caught her glass and held it up.

Bill and the others held their glasses up, as well, and Bill said, "Mad-Eye."

"Mad-Eye," Lucy echoed with the others before bringing the glass to her lips.

"Mad-Eye," Hagrid croaked a second later.

There was a moment of silence as everyone drank as much of their Firewhiskey as they wanted.

"So, Mundungus disappeared?" Remus asked, his glass empty.

Lucy froze; they had been wondering who had betrayed them. _Was it possible that it was Mundungus?_

"I know what you're thinking," Bill said, "and I wondered that, too, on the way back here, because they seemed to be expecting us, didn't they? But Mundungus can't have betrayed us. They didn't know there would be seven Harrys; that confused them the moment we appeared, and in case you've forgotten, it was Mundungus who suggested that little bit of skulduggery. Why wouldn't he have told them the essential part?"

"To make us think that he didn't do it," Lucy said, shrugging.

"Maybe," Bill said, "but I think Dung panicked; it's as simple as that. He didn't want to come in the first place, but Mad-Eye made him, and You-Know-Who went straight for them. It was enough to make anyone panic."

"You-Know-Who acted exactly as Mad-Eye expected him to," Tonks said. "Mad-Eye said he'd expect the _real_ Harry to be with the toughest, most skilled Aurors. He chased Mad-Eye first, and when Mundungus gave them away, he switched to Kingsley—"

"Yes, and zat eez all very good, but still, eet does not explain 'ow zey knew we were moving 'Arry tonight, does eet?" Fleur said. "Somebody must 'ave been careless. Somebody let slip ze date to an outsider. It is ze only explanation for zem knowing ze date but not ze 'ole plan."

There was a pause before Harry loudly said, "No."

Everyone turned to look at him. Lucy frowned, confused by what he meant.

"I mean… if somebody made a mistake and let something slip, I know they didn't mean to do it," Harry clarified. "It's not their fault. We've got to trust each other. I trust all of you. I don't think anyone in this room would ever sell me to Voldemort."

"Well said, Harry," Fred spoke up.

"Yeah, 'ear, 'ear," George added, smirking.

"Are you _seriously_ making ear puns right now?" Lucy asked exasperatedly, and George winked at her.

"You think I'm a fool?" Harry asked, looking squarely at Remus.

"No, I think you're like James," Remus replied, "who would have regarded it as the height of dishonor to mistrust his friends." He put his glass down, turning to Bill. "There's work to do. I can ask Kingsley whether—"

"No, I'll do it. I'll come," Bill interrupted.

"Where are you going?" Tonks and Fleur demanded.

"Mad-Eye's body," Remus said. "We need to recover it."

Mrs. Weasley started, "Can't it—?"

"Wait?" Bill finished for her. "Not unless you'd rather the Death Eaters took it."

Nobody knew what to say in response to that, so Bill and Remus stood and said their good-byes.

"You'll be all right taking Lucy, Jeremy, and Sally-Anne back to the house with you, right?" Remus softly asked his wife.

Tonks nodded, looking distraught. "Of course I can. Please, _please _be careful, Remus. I love you."

"I love you, too," Remus replied, kissing her forehead. Then he and Bill had gone.

"I've got to go, too," Harry said suddenly.

"Don't be silly, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said. "What are you talking about?"

"I can't stay here," Harry said, rubbing at his forehead where his lightning bolt-shaped scar was.

Lucy looked at him suspiciously. "What do you mean?" she asked him.

"You're all in danger while I'm here," Harry said. "I don't want—"

"But don't be so silly!" Mrs. Weasley said. "The whole point of tonight was to get you here safely, and thank goodness it worked. And Fleur's agreed to get married here rather than in France! We've arranged everything, so that we can all stay together and look after you—"

Harry started, "If Voldemort finds out I'm here—"

"But why should he?" Mrs. Weasley cut him off.

"There are a dozen places you might be now, Harry," Mr. Weasley added. "He's got no way of knowing which safe house you're in."

"It's not me I'm worried for!" Harry snapped.

"We know that," Mr. Weasley said, "but it would make our efforts tonight seem rather pointless if you left."

"Yer not goin' anywhere," Hagrid said. "Blimey, Harry, after all we wen' through ter get yeh here?"

"Yeah, what about my bleeding ear?" George quipped.

Harry said, "I know that—"

Tonks cut in, "Mad-Eye wouldn't want—"

"I KNOW!" Harry shouted.

Lucy moved forward swiftly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Just stop and think for a minute," she said. "You're not of age yet. As soon as you perform magic, the Ministry is going to be all over you. At least stay here until your birthday. Please?"

Harry looked at her, the anger in his eyes slowly calming.

"Where's Hedwig, Harry?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "We can put her up with Pigwidgeon and give her something to eat."

Harry didn't answer her; instead, he drank the rest of the Firewhiskey in his glass.

"Wait 'til it gets out yeh did it again, Harry," Hagrid said. "Escaped him—fought 'im off, when he was righ' on top o' yeh!"

"It wasn't me," Harry said. "It was my wand. My wand acted of its own accord."

There was a stunned silence.

"But that's impossible, Harry," Hermione said. "You mean that you did magic without meaning to; you reacted instinctively."

"No," Harry said. "The bike was falling. I couldn't have told you where Voldemort was, but my wand spun in my hand, found him, and shot a spell at him, and it wasn't even a spell I recognized. I've never made golden flames appear before."

"Often when you're in a pressured situation, you can produce magic you never dreamed of," Mr. Weasley said. "Small children often find, before they're trained—"

"It wasn't like that," Harry said, wincing. He muttered about needing some fresh air and stomped out of the room.

"Hermione, Ron," Lucy said immediately. "C'mon."

Hermione and Ron stood up and followed Lucy from the room. They went out into the yard.

Ron started, "Where—?"

"There he is," Hermione said, pointing to the garden gate.

Harry was standing very still. Lucy, Hermione, and Ron hurried over to him.

"Harry?" Hermione asked when they neared him.

Harry turned around to look at them.

"Harry, come back in the house," Lucy said. "You aren't still thinking about leaving, are you?"

"Yeah, you've got to stay, mate," Ron said.

"Are you all right?" Hermione asked, looking closely at Harry. "You look awful!"

"Well, I probably look better than Ollivander…" Harry said. He took a breath and told them that he had seen into Voldemort's mind, and that Voldemort had been threatening Ollivander for giving him wrong information.

"But it was supposed to have stopped!" Hermione gasped when Harry had finished. "Your scar—it wasn't supposed to do this anymore! You mustn't let that connection open up again—Dumbledore wanted you to close your mind!" Harry didn't answer, and she grabbed his arm. "Harry, he's taking over the Ministry and the newspapers and half the Wizarding world! Don't let him inside your head, too!"

"Come back inside," Lucy repeated. "It makes no sense to leave now. C'mon."

Harry nodded wordlessly, and the four went back into the house.

**~LJ:TW~**

Inside, there was a grief-filled silence. Everyone was mourning the loss of such an important soldier in the war. It felt like they were losing people left and right, and Voldemort and his followers hadn't even taken over the Ministry yet.

Lucy sat on the floor between Sally-Anne and Jeremy. She was holding one of Sally-Anne's hands and leaning her head against Jeremy's shoulder.

Eventually, Tonks stood up and walked over to Lucy, Sally-Anne, and Jeremy. "We should probably go home," she said, her voice sounding rough. She'd been one of Moody's last protégées in the Auror office.

Sally-Anne and Jeremy agreed.

"Is it—would it be okay if I stayed here for the night?" Lucy asked. "I'm worried about Harry."

"I—I guess so," Tonks said.

"I'll talk to Mrs. Weasley about it," Lucy said. "I'll just have someone Apparate me home sometime tomorrow morning."

Tonks merely nodded, and Lucy walked into the kitchen where Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were sitting at the table. They both had a cup of tea in front of them, but Lucy had a strong suspicion that they were spiked with Firewhiskey.

"Mrs. Weasley?" Lucy asked softly. "Mr. Weasley?"

They both looked up at her. "Is everything all right, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Yes," Lucy answered. "I was wondering if I could spend the night here. I'm worried about Harry, and it would make me feel better if I was here tonight."

"Of course you can stay here, dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "Arthur will get an extra cot put up in Ginny's room for you. Do Sally-Anne and Jeremy need to stay, too?"

"No, they're going to go home with Tonks," Lucy replied. "Thanks, Mrs. Weasley."

Walking back over to Tonks, Sally-Anne, and Jeremy, Lucy let them know that it was all right with the Weasleys for her to stay the night.

"Are you sure?" Tonks asked.

"Yes," Lucy said. "I just feel like I need to be here tonight." She gave Tonks and Sally-Anne each a hug before wrapping her arms around Jeremy and squeezing him hard.

"Fair warning, I may enjoy having the bed to myself too much if you don't come home," Jeremy joked with a chuckle.

"I'll push you out of it if I want to," Lucy shot back before giving him a swift kiss. "I love you."

"Love you, too," Jeremy said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: This was basically the original start to this story. There was a little intro, and then the story kicked off with Harry's rescue. I'm really happy that I changed my mind about that and added on the first two chapters.**_

_**Moody yelling at Lucy when she sticks her tongue out at him... that makes me giggle. Also George making ear puns already.**_


	4. 4: Some of the Plan

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Some of the Plan**

The next morning, Lucy woke up on an extra cot in Ginny's room. As she sat up, she noticed Hermione stuffing clothing into a bag.

"What's that?" Lucy asked, her voice slightly groggy.

"It's a handbag for us to take with us," Hermione replied, showing it to Lucy. "I've put an Undetectable Extension Charm on it, so that more things can fit inside, and we'll only need to carry this one thing. I think I've done it right. Anyway, I'm glad you're awake. Next time you come over to the Burrow, bring me any clothes that you want me to pack for you, okay?"

"Sure," Lucy said through a yawn. "But I've been thinking about something."

"What's that?" Hermione prompted. "I've got plenty of room in the bag. Don't worry if you feel like you're packing too much. I just think it wouldn't hurt to be prepared."

"No, it's not that, and I agree with you about being prepared," Lucy said. "It's just—now that I'm living with Remus and Tonks, I'm not around all the time. So if, for whatever reason, you, Harry, and Ron need to leave suddenly… don't worry about leaving me behind."

Hermione dropped her bag in shock, and it made a louder thump than it seemed like it should have. "What do you mean?" she asked. "We couldn't leave you behind!"

Lucy smiled at her friend. "I appreciate the sentiment, but this Horcrux hunt is more important than making sure that all four of us are together. Besides, I only mean this if there's some kind of emergency."

"Are you sure about this?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Lucy said. "I want Voldemort gone just as much as everyone else. But you have to promise me that, if you have to leave without me, you're going to stay with Harry."

"Of course I will," Hermione said.

"I mean it," Lucy said firmly, looking Hermione straight in the eyes. "Promise me that no matter what happens, you'll stay with him. I know he thinks he can do this on his own, but he needs _someone_."

"I promise," Hermione said.

There was a knock on the bedroom door.

"Good morning, girls," Mrs. Weasley said, sticking her head into the room. "Oh, good, you're already awake. I have breakfast ready downstairs."

"I'll be down soon," Lucy said. "I just need to change out of my pajamas."

"That's a good girl," Mrs. Weasley said, sounding distracted. "Come along, Hermione."

She left the room, and Hermione looked around at Lucy, who shrugged. Mrs. Weasley had a good reason to be stressed out; Bill's and Fleur's wedding would be taking place in the garden in a week.

**~LJ:TW~**

Down in the kitchen, Lucy sat next to Harry at the table. "How are you feeling this morning?" she asked.

"I'm fine, Lucy," Harry replied. "I know you're worried about me, but you really don't need to be. I can look after myself."

"I know you can," Lucy said. "If we're being honest, I was more worried that you were going to try and sneak out in the middle of the night. I'm glad you didn't."

"Yeah, well, you were right," Harry said. "I won't be able to get very far when I can't do magic. But after Bill's and Fleur's wedding, I need to get out of here." He lowered his voice and continued, "I need to start looking for Horcruxes. That's the job Dumbledore left me to do, and I'm the only one who can do it."

"I know," Lucy said, lightly squeezing his wrist reassuringly.

**~LJ:TW~**

After breakfast, Fred offered to take Lucy home by Side-Along Apparition.

"You're all coming for the wedding, right?" Fred asked after they had Apparated into the woods outside her cabin.

"Yes," Lucy confirmed, nodding. "I'll probably be over again in a few days—I'm sure there will be another Order meeting sometime this week."

"We'll see you in a few days, then," Fred said with a grin. Then he took a couple steps back from her, turned on the spot, and vanished with a _crack_.

Lucy went into the house. Sally-Anne was the only person in the sitting room, leafing through a copy of _Witch Weekly_.

"Morning," Lucy greeted her.

"Morning," Sally-Anne echoed. "You've missed breakfast, but I think there's some tea left, if you want any."

"I'm good," Lucy said. "Mrs. Weasley made us all breakfast. That poor woman is very stressed out about this wedding business. I hope that when I get married, it won't be as stressful."

"Knowing Mrs. Weasley, she'll probably get stressed out for you," Sally-Anne said. "Besides, you and Jeremy wouldn't have an elaborate wedding in the middle of the war, would you?"

It took Lucy a few seconds before she'd realized that Sally-Anne had implied that she was going to marry Jeremy. Her face flushed. "Who says I'm going to marry Jeremy?" she demanded.

"Um, your face nearly every time you look at him," Sally-Anne deadpanned.

"Lucy." Jeremy had just exited from their bedroom, and his smile grew as he gazed at her.

"Thank you for making my point," Sally-Anne said smugly. "Also, I was here first—you two need to go make goo-goo eyes at each other in some other room or outside."

"Shut up," Lucy said with a roll of her eyes. "Oh, did Remus ever make it back last night?"

"Yeah, but it was really late," Sally-Anne reported. "We saw him this morning over breakfast, and he said that he and Bill never found Moody's body."

"It's hard to believe he's gone," Lucy said. "Of all the people I imagined losing, Moody was never one of them. He was taking over for Dumbledore.…"

Jeremy had walked across the room and was standing in front of Lucy. "The Order will be all right," he said, brushing some of Lucy's hair away from her face. "They've still got plenty of fighters. This war is just starting."

"That's what worries me," Lucy said, biting her lip. "It's only just getting serious, and we've already lost Dumbledore and Moody. Not to mention that, day by day, Voldemort is taking over the Ministry."

"Everything will be okay, Lucy," Jeremy said, hugging her tightly. "We'll beat him."

"But how many people will we lose first?" Lucy asked.

**~LJ:TW~**

"We're going to put a Fidelius Charm on this house," Remus announced that night when they had all gathered for dinner.

The potatoes fell from Lucy's fork as she stared at her uncle.

"Do you really think that's necessary, Remus?" Tonks asked, looking worried.

"With all the intelligence that we've gathered, we're not sure how long the Ministry is going to last," Remus said. "The other Order safe houses are known about… this one isn't. And I don't want to chance it being found, especially if…"

"If what?" Lucy prompted.

Remus sighed and finished, "Especially if _you're_ going to be here, Lucy."

"Who's going to be Secret Keeper?" Jeremy asked.

"I was just going to do it myself," Remus said. "Kingsley is going to help me set it up, but we will be putting it on the house within the next couple days."

**~LJ:TW~**

A few nights later, Lucy found herself at the Burrow again for dinner. Harry had asked Mr. Weasley why the Burrow had become headquarters for the Order, and Mr. Weasley told him that after Dumbledore died, the position of Secret Keeper had shifted to everyone whom he'd told the secret.

"And as there are so many of us, that greatly dilutes the power of the Fidelius Charm," Mr. Weasley explained. "Many more opportunities for the Death Eaters to get the secret out of somebody. We can't expect it to hold much longer."

"But surely Snape will have told the Death Eaters the address by now," Harry assumed.

"Well, Mad-Eye set up a couple of curses against Snape, in case he turns up there again," Mr. Weasley said. "We hope they'll be strong enough both to keep him out and to bind his tongue if he tries to talk about the place, but we can't be sure. It would have been insane to keep using the place as headquarters now that its protection has become so shaky."

There was a large group of people crowded around the table in the Burrow's kitchen. There had been a meeting that evening, and Lucy had opted to stay for dinner with the Weasleys.

"No news about Moody?" Lucy asked Bill.

"Nothing," Bill reported. "The _Daily Prophet_ hasn't said a word about him dying or about finding the body, but that doesn't mean much. It's keeping a lot quiet these days."

"And they still haven't called a hearing about all the underage magic I used escaping the Death Eaters?" Harry asked, looking at Mr. Weasley, who shook his head. "Because they know I had no choice, or because they don't want me to tell the world Voldemort attacked me?"

"The latter, I think," Mr. Weasley answered. "Scrimgeour doesn't want to admit that You-Know-Who is as powerful as he is, nor that Azkaban's seen a mass breakout."

"Yeah, why tell the public the truth?" Harry said sarcastically.

"Isn't anyone at the Ministry prepared to stand up to him?" Ron asked.

"Of course, Ron, but people are terrified," Mr. Weasley said. "Terrified that they will be next to disappear, or their children the next to be attacked! There are nasty rumors going around; I, for one, don't believe the Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts resigned. She hasn't been seen for weeks now. Meanwhile, Scrimgeour remains shut up in his office all day; I just hope he's working on a plan."

Mrs. Weasley took the next silence to levitate the desserts onto the table.

"We must decide 'ow you will be disguised, 'Arry," Fleur began. When Harry looked at her questioningly, she clarified, "For ze wedding. Of course, none of our guests are Death Eaters, but we cannot guarantee zat zey will not let something slip after zey 'ave 'ad champagne."

"Yes, good point," Mrs. Weasley said. She was looking at a very long list of chores that needed to get done before the wedding. "Now, Ron, have you cleaned out your room yet?"

"_Why_?" Ron cried. "Why does _my_ room have to be cleaned out? Harry and I are fine with it the way it is!"

Mrs. Weasley scolded, "We are holding your brother's wedding here in a few days' time, young man—"

"And are they getting married in _my_ bedroom?" Ron asked. "No! So why, in the name of Merlin's saggy left—"

"Don't talk to your mother like that," Mr. Weasley stepped in swiftly, "and do as you're told."

Ron, looking angry, went back to his dessert.

"I can help," Harry volunteered. "Some of it's my mess."

"No, Harry, dear, I'd much rather you helped Arthur muck out the chickens," Mrs. Weasley said, "and Hermione, I'd be ever so grateful if you'd change the sheets for Monsieur and Madame Delacour; you know they're arriving at eleven tomorrow morning."

**~LJ:TW~**

After dinner, Lucy slipped up the stairs before Mrs. Weasley could acknowledge that she was still at the house. She went up to Ron's room and sat down cross-legged on Harry's bed. "Aren't you going to clean your room?" she asked Ron.

"No," Ron said defiantly. He laid down on his bed.

"So why was your mom so adamant that you, Hermione, and Harry be split up?" Lucy asked.

"Noticed that, did you?" Ron said. "Mum knows that we're planning on leaving after the wedding and not returning to school. She seems to think that if she keeps us apart, we can't make any plans to leave."

"There may not be a school to return to," Lucy said. "They still haven't sent out our letters."

"They have so many teachers to replace, too," Hermione said, entering the room with an armful of books.

"Weren't you supposed to be changing sheets somewhere?" Ron asked.

"Yes, but Ginny and I did it yesterday," Hermione said dismissively. "I took my chance to come up here when I could. Anyway, do you really think they might close Hogwarts this year?"

"I'm sure they'll try their hardest to keep it open," Lucy said. "But we'll need a headmaster or headmistress, a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and apparently a Muggle Studies teacher. If McGonagall gets the headmistress position, then they're also going to need a Transfiguration professor."

"The one year that Snape finally won't be there, and neither will we," Ron complained. "Too bad Moody couldn't come back and teach Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"He never taught us anyway," Hermione shot back. She had sat down in the corner with a large pile of books and was now sorting through them.

"I can't believe they haven't found his body yet," Lucy said. "It's a shame that we haven't been able to hold a proper funeral for him."

"You know, I've been thinking…" Ron said. "What if he's not really dead?"

"I thought he got hit with a Killing Curse," Lucy commented.

"Well, that's what Bill says," Ron said, "but he was in the middle of a battle. Maybe he saw it wrong."

Hermione began, "But he fell—"

The bedroom door swung open, interrupting her.

Ron shot to his feet. "I'm doing it! I'm doing—!" he exclaimed before noticing that it was Harry standing in the doorway. "Oh, it's you."

Harry crossed the room to his bed and sat down on it next to Lucy.

"Hi, Harry," Hermione said from her corner.

"And how did you manage to get away?" Harry asked.

"Oh, Ron's mum forgot that she asked Ginny and me to change the sheets yesterday," Hermione replied.

"We were just talking about Mad-Eye," Ron said. "I reckon he might have survived."

"But Bill saw him hit by the Killing Curse," Harry said.

"Yeah, but Bill was under attack, too," Ron said. "How can he be sure what he saw?"

"Even if the Killing Curse missed, Mad-Eye still fell about a thousand feet," Hermione said.

"He was a good wizard," Lucy said. "Maybe he used something to help slow his fall—"

"Fleur said his wand was blasted out of his hand," Harry pointed out.

"Well, all right, if you want him to be dead," Ron said.

"Of course we don't want him to be dead!" Hermione gasped. "It's dreadful that he's dead, but we're trying to be realistic!"

"The Death Eaters probably tidied up after themselves," Ron said. "That's why no one's found him."

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "Like Barty Crouch—turned into a bone and buried in Hagrid's front garden. They probably transfigured Moody and stuffed him—"

"Don't!" Hermione said before she began to cry.

"Harry!" Lucy scolded.

"Oh, no," Harry said. "Hermione, I wasn't trying to upset—"

But it was Ron who reached Hermione first, pulling a dirty-looking handkerchief from his pocket as he put his arm around her shoulders. He took his wand out and muttered, "_Tergeo_." Then he handed the cloth over to Hermione.

"Oh… thanks, Ron…" Hermione sniffed, taking it from her. "I'm sorry.…" She blew her nose into the handkerchief. "It's just so awf-ful, isn't it? R-right after Dumbledore.… I j-just n-never imagined Mad-Eye dying, somehow—he seemed so tough!"

"Yeah, I know," Ron said to Hermione. "But you know what he'd say to us if he was here?"

"_C-constant vigilance_," Hermione answered.

"That's right," Ron said. "He'd tell us to learn from what happened to him. And what I've learned is not to trust that cowardly little squit Mundungus."

Hermione laughed, and Lucy glanced at Harry to see him watching the other two with a curious look on his face.

Then Hermione went back to her stack of books. She picked up one particular book, but it slipped from her hand and fell to the floor. The belt from around it slid off, and the book sprang to life. _The Monster Book of Monsters_ started to bite at Ron's ankle, and he leapt away with a shout.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Hermione said.

Harry pounced on the book and managed to get the belt back around it.

"What are you doing with all those books, anyway?" Lucy asked.

"Just trying to decide which ones to take with us," Hermione said. "When we're looking for Horcruxes."

"Oh, of course," Ron said, who had returned to his bed. "I forgot we'll be hunting down You-Know-Who in a mobile library."

"Ha, ha," Hermione said sarcastically, looking at another book. "I wonder… will we need to translate runes? It's possible.… I think we'd better take it, to be safe." She added the book to one of the piles and then picked up her copy of _Hogwarts: A History_.

"Listen," Harry began, "I know you said after Dumbledore's funeral that you wanted to come with me—"

"Here he goes," Ron muttered.

"As we knew he would," Hermione said. "You know, I think I _will_ take _Hogwarts: A History_. Even if we're not going back there, I don't think I'd feel right if I didn't have it with—"

"Listen!" Harry snapped.

"No, Harry, _you_ listen," Hermione said. "We're coming with you. That was decided months ago—years, really."

Harry said, "But—"

"Shut up," Ron tried to stop him.

"—are you sure you've thought this through?" Harry asked anyway.

"Let's see," Hermione said, dropping one of Gilderoy Lockhart's books unceremoniously into her reject pile. "I've been packing for days, so we're ready to leave at a moment's notice—which, for your information, has included doing some pretty difficult magic—not to mention smuggling Mad-Eye's whole stock of Polyjuice Potion right under Ron's mum's nose.

"I've also modified my parents' memories, so that they're convinced they're really called Wendell and Monica Wilkins, and that their life's ambition is to move to Australia, which they have now done. That's to make it more difficult for Voldemort to track them down and interrogate them about me—or you, because unfortunately, I've told them quite a bit about you. Assuming I survive our hunt for the Horcruxes, I'll find Mum and Dad once this is all over and lift the enchantment. If I don't—well, I think I've cast a good enough charm to keep them safe and happy. Wendell and Monica Wilkins don't know that they've got a daughter, you see."

Ron got off his bed once more and moved over to Hermione, putting his arm around her. She wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I—Hermione, I'm sorry," Harry said. "I didn't—"

"Didn't realize that we know perfectly well what might happen if we come with you?" Hermione finished for him. "Well, we do. Ron, show Harry what you've done."

"Nah, he's just eaten," Ron said.

"Go on," Lucy said, intrigued herself. She had no idea what Ron had done. "He needs to know."

"Oh, all right," Ron sighed. "Harry, come here." He stood up and moved to the door of his bedroom. "C'mon," he added, and Harry hesitantly rose from his cot.

Lucy got up, as well, and followed the boys out onto the landing.

"Where are we going?" Harry asked.

"_Descendo_," Ron said, pointing his wand towards the ceiling.

A door appeared, popping open, and a ladder tumbled down. A foul stench followed it, and Lucy felt her nose wrinkling against it.

"That's your ghoul, isn't it?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, it is," Ron replied. He started up the ladder. "Come and have a look at him."

Lucy and Harry followed Ron into the attic. It was a very small space. As soon as Lucy poked her head into the room, she saw a creature lying on the floor, asleep.

"But it—it looks—do ghouls normally wear pajamas?" Harry asked.

"No," Ron said. "Nor have they usually got red hair or that number of pustules." Lucy and Harry stared at the creature for a few more moments before Ron said, "He's me, see?"

"Not really," Lucy said.

"I'll explain it back in my room," Ron said. "The smell's getting to me."

Lucy descended the ladder first, followed by Harry and Ron. They went back into Ron's room, where Hermione was still sorting through her pile of books.

"Once we've left, the ghoul's going to come and live down here in my room," Ron explained. "I think he's really looking forward to it—well, it's hard to tell, because all he can do is moan and drool—but he nods a lot when you mention it. Anyway, he's going to be me with spattergroit. Good, eh?"

"It's not bad," Lucy supplied as Harry stared speechlessly at Ron.

"Right!" Ron said. "Look, when we don't turn up at Hogwarts again, everyone's going to think we must be with you, right? Which means the Death Eaters will go straight for our families to see if they've got information on where you are."

"But, hopefully, it'll look like I've gone away with Mum and Dad," Hermione said. "A lot of Muggleborns are talking about going into hiding at the moment."

"We can't hide my whole family; it'll look too fishy, and they can't leave their jobs," Ron said. "So we're going to put out the story that I'm seriously ill with spattergroit, which is why I can't go back to school. If anyone comes calling to investigate, Mum or Dad can show them the ghoul in my bed, covered in pustules. Spattergroit's really contagious, so they're not going to want to go near him. It won't matter that he can't say anything, either, because apparently you can't speak once the fungus has spread to your uvula."

"And your mum and dad are in on this plan?" Harry asked.

"Dad is," Ron replied. "He helped Fred and George transform the ghoul. Mum… well, you've seen what she's like. She won't accept we're going 'til we've gone."

"What about you, Lucy?" Harry asked, sounding curious and turning to his sister. "What about your parents?"

"Well, according to the Order, Voldemort's not interested in places abroad; at least, not yet," Lucy said. "They may be the adoptive parents of Harry Potter's twin sister, but I don't think that Voldemort will waste time tracking them down if they're in America. Still, to be on the cautious side, they've gone into hiding in a safe house."

The four of them quieted for a moment, but they could hear Mrs. Weasley shouting from somewhere below them.

"Ginny's probably left a speck of dust on a poxy napkin ring," Ron said. "I dunno why the Delacours have got to come two days before the wedding."

"Fleur's sister's going to be a bridesmaid," Lucy said. "She needs to be here for the rehearsal, and she's too young to come on her own."

"Well, guests aren't going to help Mum's stress level," Ron commented.

"What we really need to decide," Hermione said, "is where we're going after we leave here. I know you said you wanted to go to Godric's Hollow first, Harry, and I understand why, but—well—shouldn't we make the Horcruxes our priority?"

"If we knew where any of the Horcruxes were, I'd agree with you," Harry said.

"Don't you think there's a possibility that Voldemort's keeping a watch on Godric's Hollow?" Hermione pressed. "He might expect you to go back and visit your parents' graves once you're free to go wherever you like."

Harry opened his mouth, paused, and then shut it again.

"This R.A.B. person," Ron spoke up. "You know, the one who stole the real locket?" Lucy and Hermione nodded for him to go on, and he said, "It said in his note he was going to destroy it, didn't he?"

Harry rummaged through his bag for a moment before pulling the fake Horcrux out. He opened it and took out a folded up slip of parchment. "_I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can_," he read aloud.

"Well, what if he _did_ finish it off?" Ron asked.

"Or she," Lucy muttered.

"Whichever," Ron said. "It'd be one less for us to do!"

"Yes, but we're still going to have to try and trace the real locket, aren't we?" Hermione said. "To find out whether or not it's destroyed."

"And once we get hold of it, how _do_ you destroy a Horcrux?" Ron asked.

"Well, I've been researching that," Hermione said.

"How?" Lucy and Harry wondered at the same time. Harry added, "I didn't think there were any books on Horcruxes left in the library."

"There weren't," Hermione said, flushing slightly. "Dumbledore removed them all, but he—he didn't destroy them."

"How in the name of Merlin's pants have you managed to get your hands on those Horcrux books?" Ron asked.

"It—it wasn't stealing!" Hermione insisted. "They were still library books, even if Dumbledore had taken them off the shelves. Anyway, if he _really_ didn't want anyone to get at them, I'm sure he would have made it much harder to—"

"Hermione, it's okay," Lucy said. "Just tell us how you got them."

"Well… it was easy," Hermione said. "I just did a Summoning Charm. You know—_Accio_. And—and they zoomed out of Dumbledore's study window and right into the girls' dormitory."

"But when did you do this?" Harry asked.

"Just before his—Dumbledore's—funeral," Hermione answered. "Right before we agreed we'd leave school and go and look for the Horcruxes. It occurred to me that the more we knew about them, the better it would be… and I was alone in there—our dorm… so I tried… and it worked! They flew straight in through the open window, and I—I packed them." She looked at the other three in turn before adding, "I can't believe Dumbledore would have been angry. It's not as though we're going to use the information to _make_ a Horcrux, is it?"

"Can you hear us complaining?" Ron said. "Where are these books, anyway?"

Hermione went through her pile of books before pulling out a large, old-looking one. She held it up, so the others could see it, although she looked frightened to even be touching it. "This is the one that gives explicit instructions on how to make a Horcrux," she explained. "_Secrets of the Darkest Art_—it's a horrible book—really awful—full of evil magic. I wonder when Dumbledore removed it from the library.… If he didn't do it until he was headmaster, I bet Voldemort got all the instruction he needed from here."

"Why did he have to ask Slughorn how to make a Horcrux, then, if he'd already read that?" Lucy asked.

"He only approached Slughorn to find out what would happen if you split your soul into seven," Harry explained. "Dumbledore was sure Riddle already knew how to make a Horcrux by the time he asked Slughorn about them. I think you're right, Hermione; that could easily have been where he got the information."

"And the more I've read about them," Hermione continued, "the more horrible they seem, and the less I can believe that he actually made six. It warns in this book how unstable you make the rest of your soul by ripping it, and that's just by making one Horcrux!"

"Isn't there any way of putting yourself back together?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Hermione replied, "but it would be excruciatingly painful."

"Why?" Harry asked. "How do you do it?"

"Remorse," Hermione said. "You've got to really feel what you've done. There's a footnote. Apparently, the pain of it can destroy you. I can't see Voldemort attempting it, somehow, can you?"

"No," Ron said. "So does it say how to destroy Horcruxes in that book?"

"Yes," Hermione said, opening the book, "because it warns Dark wizards how strong they have to make the enchantments on them. From all that I've read, what Harry did to Riddle's diary was one of the few really foolproof ways of destroying a Horcrux."

"What, stabbing it with a basilisk fang?" Harry asked.

"Oh, well, lucky we've got such a large supply of basilisk fangs, then," Ron said. "I was wondering what we were going to do with them."

"Ron," Lucy sighed with a roll of her eyes.

"It doesn't have to be a basilisk fang," Hermione said patiently. "It has to be something so destructive that the Horcrux won't repair itself. Basilisk venom only has one antidote, and it's incredibly rare—"

"—phoenix tears," Harry cut in.

"Exactly," Hermione said. "Our problem is that there are very few substances as destructive as basilisk venom, and they're all dangerous to carry around with you. That's a problem we're going to have to solve, though, because ripping, smashing, or crushing a Horcrux won't do the trick. You've got to put it beyond magical repair."

"But even if we wreck the thing it lives in, why can't the bit of soul in it just go and live in something else?" Ron asked.

"Because a Horcrux is the complete opposite of a human being," Hermione answered.

Harry and Ron exchanged confused looks, and Lucy asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well, if I picked up a sword right now and, say, ran Ron through with it, it wouldn't damage his soul at all," Hermione said.

"Which would be a real comfort to me, I'm sure," Ron muttered.

"It should be, actually!" Hermione said. "My point is that, whatever happens to your body, your soul will survive, untouched. But it's the other way 'round with a Horcrux. The fragment of soul inside it depends on its container—its enchanted body—for survival. It can't exist without it."

"That diary sort of died when I stabbed it," Harry said thoughtfully.

"And once the diary was properly destroyed, the bit of soul trapped in it could no longer exist," Hermione said.

"Hang on," Ron said. "The bit of soul in that diary was possessing Ginny, wasn't it? How does that work, then?"

"While the magical container is still intact, the bit of soul inside it can flit in and out of someone if they get too close to the object. I don't mean holding it for too long—it's nothing to do with touching it," Hermione went on before Ron could interrupt. "I mean close emotionally. Ginny poured her heart out into that diary; she made herself incredibly vulnerable. You're in trouble if you get too fond of or dependent on the Horcrux."

"I wonder how Dumbledore destroyed the ring?" Harry mused aloud. "Why didn't I ask him? I never really…" He trailed off, looking troubled.

"You weren't expecting him to die," Lucy said soothingly. "You couldn't have known that you should have asked him how he destroyed it."

Suddenly, Ron's bedroom door swung open and slammed against the wall. Lucy jumped, and Hermione shrieked. Ron immediately got off his bed, slipped on a Chocolate Frog wrapper, and smacked into the wall. Harry pulled his wand from his pocket and pointed it to the doorway.

But it was only Mrs. Weasley, who was looking livid. "I'm so sorry to break up this cozy little gathering," she said. "I'm sure you all need your rest… but there are wedding presents stacked in my room that need sorting out, and I was under the impression that you had agreed to help."

"Oh, yes," Hermione said, quickly getting to her feet and knocking over her books in the process, "we will.… We're sorry.…"

Mrs. Weasley turned on her heel and disappeared from the doorway. Hermione hurried after her after a terrified look at Lucy, Harry, and Ron.

"We should go down, as well," Harry said.

"I think I'll be heading home, then," Lucy said. "I'll see you in two days, yeah?"

"Yeah," Harry agreed, as Ron said, "See you." The boys scampered from the room, hurrying down the stairs to join Hermione.

Lucy followed at a slower pace. When she reached the main floor of the Burrow, she found the twins in the sitting room with their father. "I need a favor," Lucy sang.

George looked up, smirking at her. Lucy glanced at his missing ear; it was still so odd to see him without a second ear. His head looked a bit unbalanced now.

"You need to be Apparated?" George asked.

"Yes, please," Lucy confirmed.

George got to his feet with a heavy, exaggerated sigh. "I _suppose_ I can take you home," he said.

Lucy giggled and shook her head at him. "I'll see you in a few days," she said to Fred and Mr. Weasley.

They said their farewells, and Lucy followed George out of the house. They walked through the garden and passed through the gate before George stopped. He held his arm out.

"Ready?" he asked.

Lucy nodded, taking hold of his arm. George turned on the spot, and Lucy was plunged into the darkness that was Apparition.

**~LJ:TW~**

A second later, they appeared in the very familiar wood that surrounded her cabin.

Lucy grinned up at George. "Thank you, sir," she said.

"No problem," George replied. "See you in two days."

Lucy nodded again before turning and heading into the yard. She heard the _crack_ of George Disapparating just before she entered the house.

"Welcome back," Jeremy said, smiling widely. He had been sitting in the living room, reading the _Daily Prophet_.

Lucy went over to him and kissed his cheek. "Where's everyone else?" she asked.

"In their rooms, I think," Jeremy said. "How is it at the Weasleys?"

"Hectic and stressful," Lucy replied. "Mrs. Weasley wants this wedding to go off without a hitch, which I'm sure that it will. The Delacours are arriving tomorrow."

Jeremy nodded. "I suppose it is getting late," he said. "I think I'll head off to bed in a few minutes. You should, too. You look tired." He frowned in concern as he reached out and traced the circles under Lucy's eyes.

"I've been having nightmares," Lucy admitted. "It's been happening all summer."

"Is there anything I can do?" Jeremy asked.

"No," Lucy said. "I'm just anxious about the future. But anyway, you're right—it _is_ getting late. Let's go to bed." She offered him her hand.

"If you're sure," Jeremy said. He took her hand and pulled himself off the couch.

The two of them checked the locks on the doors before putting out the lanterns and going to their room.

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: Lucy's and Hermione's conversation at the beginning of the chapter is important, but it's different than what it used to be. I'll explain further in a later chapter.**_

_**I had to acknowledge Lucy's adoptive parents somewhere in this story, and I figured this would be the best place. Like Lucy said, Voldemort probably wouldn't bother hunting them down; it would take too much time and effort for a pair of people who aren't very close to Harry anyway.**_


	5. 5: Seventeen

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 5 – Seventeen **

Lucy was awoken on her seventeenth birthday with nuzzling cuddles. Jeremy showered the right side of her face with soft kisses, his arms wound tightly around her. Lucy hummed contentedly and blinked her eyes open.

"Good morning," Jeremy whispered against her ear. "Happy birthday. I love you."

"I love you, too," Lucy replied, wriggling around in his arms until she was facing him.

"I got you a present," Jeremy said. "Do you want to open it now?"

"No," Lucy answered, snuggling deeper into his chest. "I'm too comfortable right now, and I don't want you to go anywhere."

Jeremy chuckled. "I guess I can't argue with that," he sighed. "I would like to stay in bed with you, as well."

They didn't get their wish; not five minutes later, there was a knock at their bedroom door.

"Are you two doing the nasty in there?" Sally-Anne asked.

"Merlin's tit," Lucy said, rolling her eyes. Then she raised her voice and called back, "No, but give us a minute."

"Don't tell me you're going to let her in here," Jeremy groaned.

Lucy shimmied her way out of his arms and rolled off the bed. Looking around at the pile of clothes on the ground, she threw Jeremy one of his shirts and a pair of shorts. Then she found herself some sweatpants and pulled them on.

"Please put your clothes on," Lucy asked her boyfriend sweetly. "The sooner we see what she wants, the sooner we can get back to our morning cuddles." She winked.

Jeremy complied, getting up to put his shirt and shorts on. Then he plopped back down on the bed and gestured to Lucy that he was ready.

Lucy opened the door and found Sally-Anne waiting in the hall with a wrapped box in her hands.

"Happy seventeenth!" she announced. She threw her arms around Lucy and gave her a squeeze. Then, after pulling back, she held out the present and said, "Here you go! Go on—open it!"

Lucy did as her friend asked, smirking. She opened the box and pulled out a bottle of lavender lotion. "Thanks, Sally-Anne," she said, giving the other girl another hug.

"No problem," Sally-Anne answered. "I know that you've been having problems with nightmares, and the scent of lavender is supposed to be calming. I figured it would be worth a try. Anyway, I suppose I'll let you two get back to whatever it was you were doing."

"We weren't doing anything," Lucy said with a shrug.

"Yet!" Jeremy added.

"Cheeky," Lucy warned teasingly.

"All right, all right! I'm going!" Sally-Anne said, and then she was gone.

Lucy shut the door and went back to the bed. She put Sally-Anne's present on the bedside table and then straddled Jeremy's lap.

"What did you want to do now?" Jeremy asked, his hands settling on her hips.

"I don't know," Lucy murmured. "What did you have in mind?"

Jeremy waggled his eyebrows at her before hugging her to his chest and rolling her over onto the bed.

**~LJ:TW~**

"That was—_very_ enjoyable," Lucy said as she and Jeremy laid naked on their bed.

"So, a good start to the day?" Jeremy asked. Lucy nodded, and Jeremy said, "Good. Because the fun doesn't stop here." He sat up, reached into the drawer in his bedside table, and pulled out a small box.

Lucy sat up, as well, and Jeremy placed the box on her knee.

"Ooh, what's in it?" Lucy asked.

"Open it and find out," Jeremy chuckled.

So Lucy did. She tore the paper off and pulled off the lid. She had been expecting another charm for the bracelet that he'd given her for Christmas during their second year at Hogwarts, but instead there was a necklace nestled into the tissue paper. From the silver chain hung an infinity symbol. Lucy lifted it from the box and let it dangle from her fingers, and she held it up, so she could look more closely at the charm.

"It's beautiful," she commented. "Why the infinity?"

"I just liked it," Jeremy replied with a shrug. "Well, I suppose it's kind of a promise, too." Lucy cocked her head at him curiously, and he continued, "It's my promise to you that no matter what happens in this war—no matter what happens for the rest of our lives—I will always love you."

Lucy felt her eyes fill with tears, but they were happy tears. She smiled at her boyfriend and said, "Thank you. I love you, too—so much."

Their lips met in a tender kiss.

"Can you help me put it on?" Lucy asked after they'd pulled apart.

Jeremy nodded, and Lucy handed him the necklace. Then she gathered her hair up in her fists so that Jeremy could hook the necklace together behind her neck. Once he was finished, Lucy let her hair fall back down.

"Thank you," Lucy repeated.

"I have one more birthday surprise for you," Jeremy said. "Let's get dressed, and I'll show you."

**~LJ:TW~**

Once they were dressed and presentable, Lucy and Jeremy went out into the sitting room. Tonks, Remus, and Sally-Anne were all there.

"Happy birthday!" Remus and Tonks chorused.

"Thanks," Lucy said with a grin.

Tonks hopped up from her seat and handed Lucy a present before kissing her on the cheek. "Just a little something from Remus and me," she said.

"You didn't have to get me anything," Lucy said, "but thank you." She opened the box and pulled out a box of chocolate frogs. "This is the best! Thanks again." She gave Tonks a hug and then hurried over to Remus to embrace him, as well.

"There's one more thing," Jeremy spoke up from behind her. "Something we all wanted to give you."

"What's that?" Lucy asked.

Sally-Anne stepped forward and guided Lucy over to the kitchen table. Lucy sat obediently, and Tonks brought her a covered plate. Once she set the plate in front of Lucy, she pulled the lid off. On the plate was a stack of French toast, the breakfast Lucy's adoptive mother always made her when she was younger.

More happy tears welled up in Lucy's eyes, and she said, "This—This is so nice. I love you all so much. Thank you." She paused and added, "Are you all going to eat, as well?"

"Of course," Remus said, producing plates of eggs, bacon, and toast for the rest of them.

Tonks waved her wand, and the table set itself. She, Remus, Sally-Anne, and Jeremy took their places, and they all enjoyed their breakfasts.

**~LJ:TW~**

About an hour later, Lucy had finished getting ready to leave the house.

"You'll be coming to the Burrow tonight, right?" Lucy asked Remus and Tonks.

"Of course we'll be there," Tonks said, beaming. "We wouldn't miss it."

"I'll see you tonight, then," Lucy said, smiling. Then she waved her good-bye to Sally-Anne.

Jeremy took Lucy's hand and walked out into the front garden with her.

"Are you sure it's all right if I leave now?" Lucy asked.

"Of course it's all right," Jeremy said. "It's your birthday, after all. Besides, we'll all be there tonight for the party, okay? Now, go see your brother." He smiled at her.

Lucy grinned back and gave him one last kiss before heading for the edge of the property. Once she was outside the original protective enchantments—which Remus had left on even after casting the Fidelius Charm over the house—she spun on the spot and Apparated away.

**~LJ:TW~**

Lucy appeared in front of the Burrow's garden gate. She entered the yard just as Harry, Ron, and Hermione were leaving the house.

"Morning!" Lucy called to her friends.

Hermione was the only one to smile and wave back at her. As Lucy looked more carefully, she noticed that Ron looked upset, and Harry seemed guilty.

Lucy hurried over to them. "What happened?" she asked.

Ron whirled around, looking—no, _glaring_ at Harry. "You ditched her," he snarled. "What the fuck are you doing now, messing her around?"

"I'm not messing her around," Harry insisted.

Hermione tried to cut in, "Ron—"

"She was really cut up when you ended it—!" Ron started.

"So was I," Harry said. "You know why I stopped it, and it wasn't because I wanted to."

"Yeah," Ron argued, "but you go snogging her now, and she's just going to get her hopes up again—"

"She's not an idiot—she knows it can't happen," Harry said. "She's not expecting us to—to end up married, or—" He stopped abruptly.

Ron warned, "If you keep groping her every chance you get—"

"It won't happen again," Harry said. "Okay?"

Ron looked at him for a moment. "Right, then—well—that's—yeah," he said lamely. "I guess we should—ah—go back inside, then."

"Sure," Harry agreed.

The boys started for the house again, with Lucy and Hermione staring after them.

"So, Harry kissed Ginny?" Lucy asked after a moment.

"Ron and I walked in on them snogging," Hermione confirmed.

"Well, this has been an interesting day already," Lucy said, smirking. "I guess we'd better go and see if Mrs. Weasley needs any help with anything."

**~LJ:TW~**

Since there was going to be such a large crowd at the Burrow that evening, Mrs. Weasley had decided that the party would be taking place outside. The wedding arrangements were nearly complete, so Mrs. Weasley had them preparing for the party all afternoon.

The second oldest Weasley son, Charlie, arrived that afternoon, as well. Lucy hadn't seen him since her fourth year of school, so it was nice to catch up with him. Their conversation was short-lived, however, because Mrs. Weasley burst into the kitchen with Bill in tow. She forced her eldest son into a chair, telling him that he was going to get a proper haircut for his wedding. Lucy and Charlie watched the whole event, not even trying to mask their laughs.

As evening drew near, Fred, George, and Hermione began decorating the garden. Mrs. Weasley was busy getting the food to the table, and Lucy and Ginny helped to carry out some of the dishes.

"I heard that someone had a nice snog with Harry this morning," Lucy said slyly as she and Ginny carefully exited the house with a pile of dinner plates.

Ginny's face turned red. "So what if I have?" she asked hotly.

"I don't have a problem with it," Lucy said, laughing. "I'm not Ron."

"Was he embarrassing?" Ginny asked.

"Not too bad," Lucy replied. "He thinks that Harry's just going to get your hopes up again."

"Ron doesn't know anything," Ginny said airily. They had reached the tables in the garden and set the dishes on top of it. Ginny turned to Lucy and continued, "Am I worried that Harry will find someone else while he's off doing whatever he's going to be doing? Maybe a little bit. Or maybe this war will change him into someone I'm not interested in anymore. But right now, I know that I like him, and I just wanted to give him something to remember me by."

"I don't think he's going to forget about you anytime soon," Lucy commented.

They were interrupted by Mrs. Weasley levitating the cake—which was in the shape of a Snitch—through the back door and into the garden. It landed on the center of the table.

"That looks amazing, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said from where he was standing a few feet away.

"Oh, it's nothing, dear," Mrs. Weasley replied, looking proud.

The guests arrived then, being led into the yard by Fred and George. Remus, Tonks, Sally-Anne, and Jeremy arrived first. Lucy hurried to where they were greeting Harry. She immediately hugged all four of them.

"Happy birthday!" Tonks said, hugging Harry next.

Remus shook Harry's hand, echoing his wife's sentiments.

Then Hagrid arrived, and he swept both Lucy and Harry into bone-crushing hugs. "Seventeen, eh?" he said. "Six years ter the day since we met, Harry! D'yeh remember it?"

Fred appeared at his elbow and handed him a large glass of wine.

"Vaguely," Harry replied. "Didn't you smash down the front door, give Dudley a pig's tail, and tell me I was a wizard?"

"Hagrid!" Lucy gasped playfully.

"I forge' the details," Hagrid said, waving his hand dismissively. "All righ', Ron, Hermione?"

"We're fine," Hermione answered. "How are you?"

"Ar, not bad," Hagrid said. "Bin busy. We got some newborn unicorns—I'll show yeh when yeh get back—"

Lucy glanced at Hermione as Hagrid put his hand in his pocket.

"Here, Harry, Lucy—couldn' think wha' ter get yeh, but then I remembered these." From his pocket, he withdrew two furry pouches on a string. "Mokeskin. Hide anythin' in there, an' no one but the owner can get it out. They're rare, them."

"Wow!" Lucy said. "Thank you!"

"Hagrid, thanks!" Harry added.

The twins took one pouch each, admiring them.

"'S'nothin'," Hagrid said. "An' there's Charlie! Always liked him—hey! Charlie!"

Charlie made his way over to them, an easy grin on his face. "Hi, Hagrid, how's it going?" he asked, shaking Hagrid's hand.

"Bin meanin' ter write fer ages," Hagrid said. "How's Norbert doin'?"

"Norbert?" Charlie asked. "The Norwegian Ridgeback? We call her Norberta now."

"Wha—Norbert's a girl?" Hagrid asked, dumbfounded.

"Oh, yeah," Charlie said, nodding.

"How can you tell?" Hermione asked.

"They're a lot more vicious," Charlie explained. Then he lowered his voice and said, "Wish Dad would hurry up and get here. Mum's getting edgy."

They all looked around at Mrs. Weasley, who kept glancing to the garden gate. "I think we'd better start without Arthur," she said to everyone gathered for the party. "He must have been held up at—oh!"

Suddenly, an orb of light flew into the yard. It came to a halt above the table, took the form of a weasel, and began to speak. "Minister of Magic coming with me," Mr. Weasley's voice came from the Patronus. Then it disappeared.

"The minister—? But why—?" Mrs. Weasley sputtered. "I don't understand—"

Not a second later, Mr. Weasley had appeared at the garden gate. The Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour followed him into the garden, leaning on his walking stick.

"Sorry to intrude," Scrimgeour said as he and Mr. Weasley joined the small crowd. "Especially as I can see that I am gate-crashing a party." He glanced at Lucy and Harry. "Many happy returns."

"Thanks," Lucy and Harry said at the same time.

"I require a private word with you two," Scrimgeour said. "Also with Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Hermione Granger."

"Us?" Ron asked. "Why us?"

"I shall tell you that when we are somewhere more private," Scrimgeour replied. "Is there such a place?" He looked at Mr. Weasley.

"Yes, of course," Mr. Weasley said. "The, er, sitting room—why don't you use that?"

"You can lead the way," Scrimgeour said to Ron. "There will be no need for you to accompany us, Arthur."

Lucy, Harry, and Hermione followed Ron into the house, and Scrimgeour limped along behind them. Lucy glanced over her shoulder to see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley exchanging worried looks.

When they reached the sitting room, Harry waved his wand to light the lamps. Scrimgeour settled into an armchair, leaving Harry, Ron, and Hermione to sit on the couch. Lucy sat in another chair that was right next to the couch.

"I have some questions for the four of you, and I think it will be best if we do it individually. If you three—" He gestured to Lucy, Harry, and Hermione. "—can wait upstairs, I will start with Ronald."

"We're not going anywhere," Lucy insisted immediately.

"You can speak to us together or not at all," Harry said, and Hermione nodded her agreement.

Scrimgeour looked at all of them with narrowed eyes but didn't protest. "Very well, then—together," he said. "I am here, as I'm sure you know, because of Albus Dumbledore's will."

Lucy felt herself frowning in confusion as she glanced at her friends.

"A surprise, apparently!" Scrimgeour said. "You were not aware, then, that Dumbledore had left you anything?"

"A-all of us?" Ron asked. "Me and Hermione and Lucy, too?"

Scrimgeour started, "Yes, all of—"

"Dumbledore died over a month ago," Harry interrupted. "Why has it taken this long to give us what he left us?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Hermione said. "They wanted to examine whatever he's left us. You had no right to do that!" She glared at the minister.

"I had every right," Scrimgeour said. "The Decree for Justifiable Confiscation gives the Ministry the power to confiscate the contents of a will—"

"That law was created to stop wizards passing on Dark artifacts," Hermione cut in, "and the Ministry is supposed to have powerful evidence that the deceased's possessions are illegal before seizing them! Are you telling me that you thought Dumbledore was trying to pass us something cursed?"

"Are you planning to follow a career in magical law, Miss Granger?" Scrimgeour asked.

"No, I'm not," Hermione stated. "I'm hoping to do some good in the world!"

Ron laughed, and Lucy couldn't help the grin that appeared on her face.

"So, why have you decided to let us have our things now?" Harry asked. "Can't think of a pretext to keep them?"

"No, it'll be because the thirty-one days are up," Hermione said. "They can't keep the objects longer than that unless they can prove they're dangerous. Right?"

"Would you say you were close to Dumbledore, Ronald?" Scrimgeour asked suddenly.

"Me? Not—not really.… It was always Harry who…" Ron trailed off, looking at Hermione.

"Why does it matter?" Lucy asked immediately.

"If Ronald was not close to Dumbledore, how do you account for the fact that Dumbledore remembered him in his will?" Scrimgeour asked, looking victorious.

"But _why_ does that _matter_?" Lucy repeated. "It's not any of your business why Dumbledore left us things in his will."

"He made exceptionally few personal bequests," Scrimgeour explained. "The vast majority of his possessions—his private library, his magical instruments, and other personal effects—were left to Hogwarts. Why do you think you were singled out, Ronald?"

"I… dunno," Ron said. "I—when I saw we weren't close—I mean, I think he liked me.…"

"You're being modest, Ron," Hermione said. "Dumbledore was very fond of you."

Scrimgeour, meanwhile, had pulled out a bag from inside his cloak. From the bag he extracted a large scroll, which he unrolled and began to read from. "_The Last Will and Testament of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.…_ Yes, here we are.… _To Ronald Bilius Weasley, I leave my Deluminator, in the hope that he will remember me when he uses it,_" Scrimgeour read.

Then he took out an object. It looked like a silver lighter. Scrimgeour handed it over to Ron, who took it and examined it curiously. "That is a valuable object," Scrimgeour said. "It may even be unique. Certainly it is of Dumbledore's own design. Why would he have left you an item so rare?"

Ron shook his head.

"Well, why not?" Lucy asked exasperatedly.

"Dumbledore must have taught thousands of students," Scrimgeour went on. "Yet the only ones he remembered in his will are you four. Why is that? To what use did he think you would put his Deluminator, Mr. Weasley?"

"Put out lights, I s'ppose," Ron said. "What else could I do with it?"

Lucy sniggered.

Scrimgeour merely looked at Ron for a few more seconds before going back to the scroll in his hand. "_To Miss Hermione Jean Granger, I leave my copy of _The Tales of Beedle the Bard, _in the hopes that she will find it entertaining and instructive._"

The next object Scrimgeour produced was an old book. It was small and looked fragile. Hermione took it from Scrimgeour. Lucy was surprised to see that Hermione seemed moved by the gift; a few tears fell down her cheeks.

"Why do you think Dumbledore left you that book, Miss Granger?" Scrimgeour asked.

"He… he knew I liked books," Hermione said.

"But why that particular book?" Scrimgeour pressed.

"I don't know," Hermione replied. "He must have thought I'd enjoy it."

"Did you ever discuss codes or any means of passing secret messages with Dumbledore?" Scrimgeour asked.

"No, I didn't," Hermione said. "And if the Ministry hasn't found any hidden codes in this book in thirty-one days, I doubt that I will."

Ron put his arm around Hermione's shoulders in comfort.

Scrimgeour went back to Dumbledore's will. "_To Miss Lucy Lily Jones, I leave a pair of pocket watches, so that she will never forget the time,_" he read. Then he pulled out a box, which he handed to Lucy.

Lucy opened the box to see two pocket watches lying inside. They were very ornate, with stars decorating the outsides.

"Why do you think Dumbledore left you these pocket watches, Miss Jones?" Scrimgeour asked.

Lucy, tired of hearing the minister interrogating them for something so trivial, looked up. "I don't know, and it's none of your business," she said shortly.

"But why would he give you _two_ pocket watches?" Scrimgeour asked. "Surely one would have been enough?"

"I'm running out of polite ways to tell you to butt out," Lucy said bluntly. "The watches clearly come in a set together. I don't know why he left them to me. Obviously he thought that I would like them. I didn't tell him to put me in his will, nor did he tell me that he was putting something for me in his will." She stared at the minister until he went back to the will.

"_To Harry James Potter, I leave the Snitch he caught in his first Quidditch match at Hogwarts, as a reminder of the rewards of perseverance and skill._" Scrimgeour removed a Snitch from his bag and held it up for the four of them to see. "Why did Dumbledore leave you this Snitch?" Scrimgeour asked.

"No idea," Harry answered. "For the reason you just read out, I suppose—to remind me what you can get if you… persevere and whatever it was."

"You think this a mere symbolic keepsake, then?" Scrimgeour pressed.

"I suppose so," Harry said. "What else could it be?"

"I'm asking the questions," Scrimgeour said.

"Yes, and we're getting quite tired of it," Lucy said. "We're missing our party."

Scrimgeour ignored Lucy and said to Harry, "I notice that your birthday cake is in the shape of a Snitch. Why is that?"

"Merlin, are you being serious right now?" Lucy groaned, putting a hand to her face as Hermione let out a humorless laugh. "It can't be because Harry happens to be a great Seeker; that's just too obvious, right?"

"There must be a secret message from Dumbledore hidden in the icing!" Hermione added sarcastically.

"I don't think there's anything hidden in the icing," Scrimgeour said evenly, "but a Snitch would be a very good hiding place for a small object. You know why, I'm sure?"

"Because Snitches have flesh memories," Hermione replied.

"What?" Harry and Ron asked at the same time.

"Correct," Scrimgeour said. "A Snitch is not touched by bare skin before it is released—not even by the maker, who wears gloves. It carries an enchantment by which it can identify the first human to lay hands upon it, in case of a disputed capture. This Snitch will remember your touch, Potter. It occurs to me that Dumbledore, who had prodigious magical skill, whatever his other faults, might have enchanted this Snitch so that it will open only for you."

There was a heavy silence as Harry pondered what the minister had told them.

"You don't say anything," Scrimgeour said. "Perhaps you already know what the Snitch contains."

"No," Harry replied honestly.

"Take it," Scrimgeour said, holding the Snitch out to Harry. Harry put his hand out, and Scrimgeour slowly put the Snitch onto his open palm.

Nothing happened.

Harry closed his fist around the little ball. "That was dramatic," he commented, and Lucy, Hermione, and Ron laughed.

"That's all, then, is it?" Hermione asked.

"Not quite," Scrimgeour said, sounding grumpy. "Dumbledore left you a second bequest, Potter."

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"The Sword of Gryffindor," Scrimgeour said, and Lucy looked at him warily.

"So where is it?" Harry demanded.

"Unfortunately, that sword was not Dumbledore's to give away," Scrimgeour said. "The Sword of Godric Gryffindor is an important historical artifact, and as such, belongs—"

"It belongs to Harry!" Hermione said. "It chose him! He was the one who found it—it came to him out of the Sorting Hat—"

"According to reliable historical sources, the sword may present itself to _any_ worthy Gryffindor," Scrimgeour said. "That does not make it the exclusive property of Mr. Potter, whatever Dumbledore may have decided. Why do you think—?"

"—Dumbledore wanted to give me the sword?" Harry finished for him. "Maybe he thought it would look nice on my wall."

"This is not a joke, Potter!" Scrimgeour snapped. "Was it because Dumbledore believed that only the Sword of Gryffindor could defeat the Heir of Slytherin? Did he wish to give you that sword, Potter, because he believed, as do many, that you are the one destined to destroy He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"Interesting theory," Harry said. "Has anyone ever tried sticking a sword in Voldemort? Maybe the Ministry should put some people onto that, instead of wasting their time stripping down Deluminators or covering up breakouts from Azkaban. Is this what you've been doing, Minister? Shut up in your office, trying to break open a Snitch? People are dying—I was nearly one of them—Voldemort chased me across three counties, and he killed Mad-Eye Moody. But there's been no word about any of that from the Ministry, has there? And you still expect us to cooperate with you!"

"You go too far!" Scrimgeour said, shooting up out of his chair.

Harry rose, as well, as Scrimgeour walked towards him. Scrimgeour had his wand out, and he poked Harry in the chest with it.

"Oy!" Ron said. He and Lucy stood swiftly, as well.

"No!" Harry said sharply to Ron, who had drawn his wand. "D'you want to give him an excuse to arrest us?"

"Remembered you're not at school, have you?" Scrimgeour sneered. "Remembered that I am not Dumbledore, who forgave your insolence and insubordination? You wear that scar like a crown, Potter, but it is not up to a seventeen-year-old boy to tell me how to do my job! It's time you learned some respect!"

"It's time you earned it," Harry replied defiantly.

There was a noise, and suddenly, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had burst into the room.

"We—we thought we heard—" Mr. Weasley said, looking around in alarm at the scene in front of him.

"—raised voices," Mrs. Weasley finished for her husband.

Scrimgeour stepped away from Harry; there was a small hole burned in Harry's shirt where Scrimgeour's wand had been touching.

"It—it was nothing," Scrimgeour said. "I… regret your attitude," he said to Harry. "You seem to think that the Ministry does not desire what you—what Dumbledore—desired. We ought to be working together."

"I don't like your methods, Minister," Harry replied. "Remember?" He held up his right hand, which bore the scars from his detentions with Dolores Umbridge two years prior.

Scrimgeour scowled and turned away from Harry without another word. He left the room, and Mrs. Weasley hurried after him.

"He's gone!" she called a minute later.

"What did he want?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"To give us what Dumbledore left us," Lucy answered. "They've only just released the contents of his will."

They returned to the garden, and everyone there looked over the items that the four of them had been given. The Deluminator, pocket watches, and _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_ were admired, and everyone wondered why Dumbledore had left Harry an old Snitch.

"Harry, Lucy, everyone's awfully hungry. We didn't like to start without you…" Mrs. Weasley piped up eventually. "Shall I serve dinner now?"

"Sorry, Mrs. Weasley," Lucy said immediately. "Of course we can have dinner now."

Harry agreed.

**~LJ:TW~**

Dinner was eaten quite quickly. When they were finished, they sang a hasty "Happy Birthday" to Lucy and Harry, and then they all had a bit of cake.

Then it was time for Lucy to go home with her family. She was passed around the Weasleys and the Delacours, so that they could wish her a happy birthday once more. Before she knew it, she was following Remus and Tonks out of the garden.

**~LJ:TW~**

After Apparating home, Lucy, Jeremy, and Sally-Anne sat in the living room. Lucy held the box with the pocket watches on her lap.

"Why pocket watches?" Sally-Anne asked curiously. "And why _two_ of them?"

"I don't know," Lucy said. "There's nothing dangerous or secretive, though, or else the Ministry wouldn't have let me have them.…" She reached into the box and picked one of the watches up. A warm feeling shot up her arm, and the pocket watch sprung open. Inside was a folded-up piece of paper.

"What is it?" Jeremy asked.

Lucy pulled the parchment out and unfolded it.

_Lucy,_

_If everything has gone to plan, these pocket watches will have made it past the Ministry's inspection without this letter being found. I have enchanted it specifically to only reveal itself at your touch._

_Now, if you haven't already guessed, these are not just ordinary pocket watches. They are able to pass small notes between each other. Put a note in one of the pocket watches, spin the knob until it clicks three times, and the note should appear inside the other watch._

_I hope that these will come in handy,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

"Is that actually from Dumbledore?" Sally-Anny asked, after reading the note over Lucy's shoulder.

"I think so," Lucy said. "It looks like his handwriting.…" She folded Dumbledore's note up, put it back into the pocket watch, and shut it. Then she spun the knob on the top until she heard it click three times. "Sally-Anne, grab that other watch," she instructed.

Sally-Anne leaned forward and plucked the other watch from the box. She opened it and pulled out the parchment. "That could actually be very handy," Sally-Anne commented, shutting the pocket watch again. She carefully placed it back in its box.

"No kidding," Lucy agreed. "He gave me that extra defense training last year, a pair of two-way mirrors, and now a couple of pocket watches that can also pass messages." She put the other watch in the box, as well, and closed the lid.

"Any idea why he did all that for you?" Jeremy asked casually.

Lucy paused. She hadn't talked much about her plans with Sally-Anne and Jeremy, mostly because she'd promised not to tell anyone about the Horcrux mission. All they knew was that Harry was planning on not returning to Hogwarts, and Lucy was going to be joining him. "I think that Dumbledore thought I'd need to protect Harry," Lucy finally responded. "He gave me the extra lessons so that I'd be able to keep us safe, while Harry concentrated on the mission."

"So you're actually going on some sort of secret mission, then?" Sally-Anne wondered.

"Yes," Lucy replied simply.

"But… why does it have to be a secret?" Sally-Anne asked. "Why can't Harry tell the Order what's going on?"

"Because he promised Dumbledore he wouldn't tell anyone," Lucy said. She sighed and went on, "Dumbledore told Harry about a potential way to destroy Voldemort—for good. And Voldemort doesn't know that we know about it. The more people who get involved, the more possibility that Voldemort will find out that we know, and then it'll be impossible to stop him."

"Harry really is _the Chosen One_, isn't he?" Jeremy spoke up in a low voice. "That's why he's the one who has to go on the mission—because he's the only one who can get rid of You-Know-Who. Why else would Dumbledore trust something so important to a teenager?"

Lucy lowered her eyes, warring with herself about how much she should tell them. She'd promised Harry she wouldn't tell anyone, but she couldn't lie to Jeremy and Sally-Anne, either. "Yes," she whispered, looking up. "Harry's _the Chosen One_. But you can't tell anyone."

Sally-Anne and Jeremy exchanged a wide-eyed glanced. "Don't worry, Lucy," Sally-Anne assured her friend. "We won't say anything."

"This mission, though—now that you and Harry are adults, does that mean you could leave at any minute?" Jeremy questioned.

"Yes," Lucy confirmed. "I'm planning on going with them, but we haven't decided when that will be yet. Obviously it'll be after the wedding. And don't worry—you can stay here with Remus and Tonks until the school year begins."

"_If_ the school year ever begins," Sally-Anne pointed out. "We still haven't heard anything about this year."

"Yeah, _if_," Lucy repeated. There was a moment of silence before she continued, "But I told Hermione that if she, Harry, and Ron needed to leave in an emergency, and I wasn't there, they should go without me. So there's a slim chance that I won't be going with them."

"But you want to go with them, don't you?" Sally-Anne asked.

"Yes, of course," Lucy answered. "But—like I told Hermione—it's more important that the mission gets completed, which won't happen if we all get caught just because they're trying to meet up with me somewhere."

All three of them became quiet.

"We should probably get some sleep," Jeremy eventually said. "Tomorrow's going to be a big day, after all."

"Yeah, I suppose that's a good idea," Lucy agreed.

The three of them got up, bid each other good night, and then went to their respective bedrooms.

Lucy and Jeremy silently changed into their pajamas and then got into bed. Lucy curled up into Jeremy's side, and he pulled her in close, with an arm around her shoulders.

"Time for one last happy birthday," Jeremy murmured. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you," Lucy said with a giggle. "I think I'm going to go to sleep now."

"Me, too," Jeremy agreed. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Lucy said.

They shared a quick kiss, and Lucy drifted off to sleep.

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: Jeremy's line "Open it and find out," to Lucy's "What's in it?" is an exact mirror of me and my husband. Anytime he gets me a present, I ask him what it is, and he tells me to figure it out. lol**_

_**I know there's a test they're supposed to take before they can Apparate, but seeing as the Order doesn't trust the Ministry anymore, nobody was going to stop Lucy from Apparating on her own.**_

_**I decided to just keep the cake in the shape of a Snitch. It's technically a joint party for Harry and Lucy, of course, but there's not really an iconic image that goes with Lucy the way that Harry and a Snitch go together. Lucy doesn't really care anyway, she just wants cake.**_

_**In the books, Remus and Tonks leave the party as soon as they hear the Minister is coming, but I can't exactly have them leave when they're responsible for Lucy. So I just took that little bit out.**_

_**The conversation at the end that Lucy has with Sally-Anne and Jeremy is important. Originally, Lucy was given her own mission by Dumbledore, which caused her to stay behind. I didn't like how that felt, because it made Lucy seem like this extra special snowflake or something. So now I had to answer the question of "why did Dumbledore give her all these things?" And I finally figured it out: Dumbledore taught Lucy all that defensive and concealment magic so that Lucy could worry about protecting them, while Harry was busy concentrating on the Horcruxes.**_


	6. 6: The Weasley Wedding

_**A/N: Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween last night!**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 6 – The Weasley Wedding**

The next day, Lucy arrived at the Burrow just after lunch and joined Hermione in getting ready. They stood in the middle of Ginny's bedroom as Lucy fussed over Hermione's hair.

"I wish I could wear whatever I wanted," Ginny complained from her spot on her bed. "Mum's going to make me look like a little girl, I just know it."

"Come on, Ginny; you should be honored," Lucy said as she pulled the brush through Hermione's hair with difficulty. "You and Charlie are the only siblings who are actually _in_ the wedding. Fred, George, and Ron have to be ushers!"

"Don't forget _Cousin Barny_," Ginny sniggered.

For Harry's protection, he was going to be taking some Polyjuice Potion to disguise himself as another Weasley. There was a red-headed Muggle in the town nearby that Fred had gotten some hair from.

"Ouch!" Hermione gasped as Lucy tugged the brush through a particularly rough knot in her hair.

"Sorry!" Lucy said. "But it says that you're supposed to brush through all the tangles first.…" She gestured to the bottle of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion sitting on the dresser.

"I know," Hermione sighed. "Sometimes I hate my hair!"

Twenty minutes later, Lucy had finally gotten most of the tangles out of Hermione's hair. Lucy took the bottle of the hair potion and began applying it. Soon, Hermione's hair was much more shiny and smooth.

"Thank you, Lucy," Hermione said gratefully.

"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley opened the bedroom door, looking a bit frazzled. "Come along, dear. It's time to get you into your dress."

Ginny groaned before getting up off the bed. "I wish you'd just let me get ready on my own," she mumbled. Mrs. Weasley gave her a stern look, and Ginny said nothing more as she followed her mother from the room.

"So, what dress are you going to wear?" Hermione asked as Lucy finished pinning the sides of Hermione's hair back from her face.

Lucy, smiling, went over to the bag she had brought with her. Inside was a breezy, light green dress. "I figured a sundress would be appropriate, seeing as it's still summer," she explained.

"It's so pretty!" Hermione commented. Then she went over to her things and pulled a dress from her trunk. It was lilac purple and looked like a summer dress, as well.

The girls took turns getting their dresses on before turning to look at each other in the mirror.

"I'm having a strange feeling of déjà vu," Lucy giggled. "It's like the Yule Ball or Slughorn's Christmas party all over again, except we're older now." She gathered her hair onto the top of her head and secured it into a bun.

"You know, I'm surprised that they're not forcing you to drink Polyjuice Potion, too," Hermione said as the girls huddled around the mirror to do their makeup.

"I was a little bit, as well," Lucy agreed, frowning. "Harry is the top priority, of course. He's the one Voldemort's really after, not me."

"I suppose that's true," Hermione said.

"And once the Ministry falls," Lucy went on, "we'll all be in equal danger, won't we?" She paused and then said, "This is a bit of a depressing conversation to have on the day of a wedding."

Hermione nodded her agreement.

**~LJ:TW~**

It was just after three o'clock when Lucy and Hermione were finished getting ready. They both had on some heels that matched their dresses, and Hermione had her little beaded bag in hand.

They were just about to leave the room when the door banged open. Lucy and Hermione jumped and turned to see Ginny standing in the doorway, looking annoyed.

"Are you all right?" Hermione asked, looking concerned.

"I only just managed to get away," Ginny replied, hurrying to her mirror and adjusting her dress. "This isn't as hideous as I'd imagined it was going to be, but it's _way_ too long. Any way I could bribe either of you into hemming it up for me?"

Lucy stepped forward, flourishing her wand.

"Do you really need to do that?" Hermione asked anxiously. "Won't your mother be upset if you altered your dress?"

"Probably, but I'm hoping that she's going to have too much on her mind to notice that my dress is a few inches shorter," Ginny replied, showing Lucy the length she wanted the dress at.

Lucy flicked her wand a few times, and the dress magically hemmed itself. Then Ginny reached up and let her hair down from the tight bun it had been in. It fell in loose waves to her shoulders.

"Much better," Ginny sighed in relief. "Anyway, Mum's just kicked Bill out of the house. Fleur's in the sitting room, getting some last-minute touches done to her dress. She looks good," she added in a slightly sour voice.

"I'm not surprised," Lucy said, moving to stand in front of Ginny. She studied the younger girl's hair for a moment before pinning one side back from her face. "She's part Veela, remember?" She stepped aside, so Ginny could see what Lucy had done to her hair.

"Yes, well, the biggest issue right now is that Auntie Muriel hasn't arrived yet, and she's supposed to be bringing the tiara that Fleur's going to wear," Ginny said, smiling at her own reflection in the mirror. "Thanks, Lucy. Are you two ready to come downstairs?"

"I am," Lucy said. "Hermione?"

"Yes, I'm ready," Hermione replied.

Together, the three girls left Ginny's room and went down to the sitting room, where Muriel had just arrived.

"There you are, Ginevra," Muriel said loudly. "Look at that dress; it is _much_ too short. Molly, what _are_ you letting your daughter wear?"

Ginny groaned quietly, but Mrs. Weasley didn't look at her. Instead, she was eyeing the tiara in Muriel's hands.

"Auntie Muriel," she began, "thank you so much for—"

"Oh, dear, is this the Muggleborn?" Muriel asked, looking Hermione up and down. "Bad posture and skinny ankles," she tutted. Then she turned to Lucy and scrutinized her, as well. "And this is the estranged Potter, yes? My, my, was I ever surprised when it came out that Harry Potter had a twin sister."

"Most people were," Lucy said, unable to help herself.

Muriel raised a single eyebrow in her direction. "Evidently, manners are not taught in America, are they?" she asked.

Lucy kept her mouth shut this time, and Muriel turned back to Fleur and Mrs. Weasley.

"Come on; let's get out of here," Hermione murmured to Lucy.

Lucy nodded quickly in agreement, and the girls were able to slip out of the room as Muriel began to lecture the other women about the tiara and how it should be placed in Fleur's hair.

**~LJ:TW~**

The girls set off across the garden until they came to the entrance of the large tent. Both the ceremony and reception would take place underneath it. Harry—who was in disguise—and Ron were standing there, waiting to show guests to their seats.

"Wow," Ron said as Lucy and Hermione approached. Ron stared at Hermione and said, "You look great!"

"Always the tone of surprise," Hermione said, smiling. "Your Great-Aunt Muriel doesn't agree. I just met her while she was giving Fleur the tiara. She said, _Oh dear, is this the Muggleborn?_ And then, _Bad posture and skinny ankles._"

"What did she say to you?" Harry asked Lucy.

"She told me it was obvious I hadn't learned any manners in America," Lucy answered, rolling her eyes.

"Don't take it personally," Ron advised the girls. "She's rude to everyone."

"Talking about Muriel?" George had just returned from showing someone to their seat, followed by Fred. "Yeah, when she saw me, she told me my ears are lopsided. Old bat. I wish old Uncle Bilius was still with us, though; he was a right laugh at weddings."

"Wasn't he the one who saw a Grim and died twenty-four hours later?" Lucy asked.

"Well, yeah, he went a bit… odd toward the end," George conceded.

"But before he went loopy, he was the life and soul of the party," Fred continued. "He used to down an entire bottle of Firewhiskey, and then run onto the dance floor, hoist up his robes, and start pulling bunches of flowers out of his—"

"Yes, he sounds a real charmer," Hermione interrupted as Lucy and Harry snorted with laughter.

"Never married, for some reason," Ron commented.

"You amaze me," Hermione replied dryly.

As they continued laughing, a young man stepped up to the boys and handed his invitation to Ron. "You look vunderful," the man said, looking at Hermione.

"Viktor!" Hermione exclaimed. She dropped her bag, which made a louder thump than it looked like it should have. She hurried to pick it up as Lucy watched in amusement. "I didn't know you were—goodness—it's lovely to see—how are you?" Hermione stammered.

"How come _you're_ here?" Ron asked rudely.

"Fleur invited me," Viktor Krum—who had been the Durmstrang champion during the Triwizard Tournament, and Hermione's date to the Yule Ball—answered.

Harry stepped in, holding out his hand for Krum to shake, and then offered to show him to his seat.

"Merlin, Ron, calm down," Lucy said, giggling at how red his ears had gotten.

"That should be everyone," Mrs. Weasley said, coming up to them with Muriel in tow. "Please go and sit down so that we can start."

She looked anxious, and Lucy, Fred, George, Ron, and Hermione hastened to do as she told them. They met Harry in the middle of the aisle.

"Time to sit down," Fred told him, "or we're going to get run over by the bride."

They walked to the front of the chairs and took their seats. Fred and George were in the first row, where they would be joined by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in the second row, and Lucy slid into a seat in the third row next to Jeremy and Sally-Anne, who had arrived at some point with Remus and Tonks.

"You look great," Jeremy said, pressing a kiss to Lucy's cheek.

"Thank you," Lucy replied, feeling her face warm slightly. "You look very handsome, too." She looked over at Sally-Anne and added, "Have I mentioned that I love navy blue on you?"

"No, but thank you," Sally-Anne replied, beaming.

Then a hush fell over the crowd as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley walked up the aisle. They waved at a few of their relatives and took the empty chairs next to Fred and George. At the front of the crowd, the same short wizard who had presided over Dumbledore's funeral appeared. Bill and Charlie also entered the tent and joined the wizard in front of the crowd. Fred let out a loud whistle as his older brothers stood to attention, and there was a small amount of female giggling from the other side of the tent.

"Ooooh!" Hermione gasped, turning around in her seat.

Lucy hurried to look at what her friend was staring at. Ginny and Gabrielle, Fleur's younger sister, were coming up the aisle, looking very pretty in their matching gold dresses. Directly behind them came Fleur on the arm of her father. They seemed to glide up to the front of the tent, and then Monsieur Delacour was placing Fleur's hand into Bill's.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the short wizard began. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls…"

"Yes, my tiara sets off the whole thing nicely," Muriel was saying in a loud whisper. "But I must say, Ginevra's dress is far too low cut."

Ginny looked around, grinning at her aunt's statement, and winked at Harry. Lucy couldn't help the smirk that appeared on her face.

"Do you, William Arthur, take Fleur Isabelle…?" the wizard continued.

Lucy took Jeremy's hand in hers, smiling widely as Bill and Fleur exchanged their vows. There were sniffles all around the crowd.

"…then I declare you bonded for life," the officiant finished.

He took out his wand and waved it over Bill's and Fleur's joined hands. A shower of silver stars flew around the pair as they leaned in for their first kiss as husband and wife. Fred and George began the applause, and the rest of the guests quickly joined in. The balloons floating above Fleur and Bill popped open, and a pack of birds and golden bells flew through the air.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the officiant said, calling the attention back to the front of the tent. "If you would, please, stand up!"

Lucy stood with the rest of the crowd, and the wizard waved his wand once more. The walls of the tent disappeared, so that they were now underneath just a canopy held up by poles. The chairs they had just been occupying floated to the edges of the dance floor, which had materialized beneath their feet. A number of small tables appeared, with more chairs to match.

"Smooth," Ron said, looking around as a group of waiters entered the tent, trays in hand.

"We should go and congratulate them!" Hermione said.

"We'll have time later," Ron dismissed. "Let's grab a table.… Are you three coming?" he added to Lucy, Sally-Anne, and Jeremy.

"Sure," Lucy said with a shrug.

Jeremy had scooped up three glasses of butterbeer and handed one each to Lucy and Sally-Anne, keeping the third for himself.

"Not there!" Ron said suddenly, dragging Hermione by the elbow away from the table she had been approaching. "Nowhere near Muriel—"

"Muriel is Ron's Great-Aunt," Lucy explained to Sally-Anne and Jeremy. "You may have heard her _attempting_ to whisper behind us during the ceremony."

"Ah, that's who that was," Sally-Anne commented.

Ron led the way through the crowd, and soon they came to the table where Luna Lovegood—a sixth-year Ravenclaw they had met a few years previously—was sitting by herself.

"All right if we join you?" Ron asked.

"Oh, yes," Luna replied. "Daddy's just gone to give Bill and Fleur our present." She gestured across the tent, where a man dressed in bright yellow robes was speaking with the bride and groom.

"What is it—a lifetime's supply of Gurdyroots?" Ron asked.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "I didn't know you would be here, Luna," she said, quickly changing the subject.

"Yes, well, we live just over the hill," Luna explained. "I suppose the Weasleys thought it would be kind to invite us to the wedding when we live so close."

They were interrupted by the band beginning to play. Bill and Fleur took to the dance floor first, as the rest of the guests clapped. Soon after, Mr. Weasley and Madame Delacour stepped onto the floor, followed by Mrs. Weasley and Monsieur Delacour.

"I like this song," Luna commented. She stood from her seat and moved to the dance floor, where she began to slowly spin on the spot.

"She's great, isn't she?" Ron asked. "Always good value." But he stopped smiling immediately as Krum joined their table, sitting down in Luna's seat.

"Who is that man in the yellow?" he asked with a scowl on his face.

"That's Xenophilius Lovegood," Ron answered. "He's the father of a friend of ours." Then, after a pause, he said abruptly to Hermione, "Come and dance."

Hermione, although looking a bit shocked, took his hand, and the two of them disappeared onto the dance floor.

"Ah, they are together now?" Krum asked.

"Er—sort of," Harry replied.

There was an uneasy pause, and Jeremy stood from the table and offered his hand to Lucy. "Would you like to dance?" he asked.

"Oh, sure, and leave me here alone," Sally-Anne grumbled before Lucy could answer.

"I'd love to dance," Lucy said to Jeremy, taking his hand and standing up. "And come on, you," she continued to Sally-Anne, "I'll find you someone to dance with."

The three of them hurried off, leaving Harry alone with Krum.

"That's Harry in his disguise, yeah?" Sally-Anne asked in a low voice, glancing back over her shoulder.

"Yeah," Lucy replied in a murmur.

They came to the edge of the dance floor and found George standing off to the side, chatting with a few of Fleur's Veela cousins. He looked over their heads and caught Lucy's eye. Lucy jerked her head to the side, motioning for him to join them. George excused himself and was soon standing with them.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Dance with Sally-Anne, won't you?" Lucy asked.

"Hey!" Sally-Anne exclaimed, her face turning red.

"It's either dance with George or hang out with Barny and Krum," Lucy pointed out, and Sally-Anne frowned.

"Sally-Anne, would you care to dance?" George asked, extending his hand to her.

She hesitantly took it, and George pulled her across the dance floor. Sally-Anne let out a breathless laugh as George spun her around.

"Lucy," Jeremy said.

Lucy looked up at him, and he smiled down at her. Then he wordlessly held out his hand, and she took it. Then they were also on the dance floor, spinning amongst the other guests.

**~LJ:TW~**

A few songs later, they found themselves near Bill and Fleur, who were standing just off the dance floor.

"Come on," Lucy said, tugging on Jeremy's hand, and they went over to the newlywed couple. "Bill!" Lucy exclaimed.

Bill turned his head and grinned.

Lucy threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "I'm so happy for you two," she said as she pulled away. Bill had always been like an older brother to Lucy, even though they'd only known each other for a few years.

Jeremy offered Bill his hand, and they shook briefly. "Congratulations," Jeremy added.

"Thanks," Bill said.

"So, how does it feel to be married?" Lucy asked.

"Right now, it feels the same," Bill said. "It's only been about an hour, you know."

"Good point," Lucy said. "The party is fun, though! I didn't realize just how many Weasleys there actually were. Your father must have been part of a big family, huh?"

"I guess so," Bill said. "Ginny is the first Weasley girl to be born in the last seven or so generations. As far as I know, all the Weasleys have made traditional marriages—you know, their wives have taken the Weasley name."

"Huh; I didn't know that," Lucy remarked. Bill chuckled, and Lucy finished, "Anyway, we'll leave you to your other guests. Congratulations, again!" Then she and Jeremy exchanged a quick greeting with Fleur—Jeremy transitioning smoothly into fluent French, as he always did when he spoke with Fleur—before heading back into the crowd.

"Are you hungry?" Jeremy asked.

"Yeah, a little bit," Lucy said.

Jeremy picked up two sandwiches from a passing waiter's tray and handed one over to Lucy. They took a few minutes to enjoy their food before Sally-Anne and Ginny joined them.

"Mum still hasn't mentioned the length of my dress," Ginny announced triumphantly.

"That's good, I suppose," Lucy said, giggling. Then she turned to Sally-Anne and asked, "Where'd George run off to?"

"He and Fred decided to keep some of Fleur's cousins company," Sally-Anne replied. "They're probably off for a snog in the garden somewhere."

"I probably shouldn't be surprised, should I?" Lucy commented.

"Nope," Ginny said, looking around at the crowd. "I wish I could dance with Harry, but that would look too strange in his disguise."

"I thought you two split up," Sally-Anne said with a confused look.

"We did," Ginny said. "Still, I'd like to leave him with a good impression. Something to remember me by while he's off doing whatever he's doing next year."

"Which explains why you wanted to shorten your dress, right?" Lucy guessed.

"Partially," Ginny admitted, "but it was also longer than I wanted, even if I wasn't trying to get someone's attention."

"Take it from someone who knows Harry pretty well," Lucy said. "He's not going to forget you in a hurry. You have nothing to worry about. _He's_ the one who should be worried."

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked.

"You can't be serious!" Lucy said with a small laugh. "Have you seen all the eyes you've been drawing? You're just as popular as Fleur's Veela cousins!"

As if to accentuate Lucy's point, Lee Jordan—best friend to the Weasley twins—came over. "Hey, Ginny," he said. "Would you like to dance with me?"

"Sure, Lee," Ginny said. She took Lee's hand and followed him onto the dance floor.

**~LJ:TW~**

The night moved steadily on, and the party became a bit rowdier as the sky darkened. Bill and Fleur cut their wedding cake, and Fleur tossed her bouquet into a group of screaming girls. Champagne bottles were flying over the heads of the guests, magically filling up any empty glasses they could find.

Lucy and Jeremy spent a lot of time dancing with each other and with their other friends. They would take breaks to snack on the food still being carried around by the waiters.

"This has been a lovely night," Lucy commented as she and Jeremy took a break off to the side of the dance floor. They both had a glass of butterbeer in their hands.

"I agree," Jeremy said. "I'm glad I was able to be here with you." He smiled at his girlfriend, and Lucy felt warmth throughout her entire body.

"I love you," she said serenely.

The grin that Jeremy gave her lit up the entire tent. "I love you, too," he said. He took her face in his hands and was just about to kiss her when a bright silver ball of light burst into the crowd.

In the middle of the dance floor, a lynx Patronus formed. Everyone froze as the lynx opened its mouth. From it came the voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"_The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming_."

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: Headcanon (are you allowed to have your own headcanon for your own AU? lol) that Jeremy and Fleur end up having a close relationship, mostly on the basis that they're both French, and they enjoy speaking in French to one another.**_

_**Originally, the end of this chapter is when Lucy said "I love you" to Jeremy for the first time. Obviously that has changed.**_

_**This chapter isn't very long, but the cliffhanger is just too juicy to not use.**_


	7. 7: The Ministry Falls

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 7 – The Ministry Falls**

It was as though everything had come to a grinding halt. Kingsley's words were still echoing in Lucy's mind, even after the Patronus had disappeared.

_The Ministry has fallen.… The Ministry has fallen.…_

_They are coming.…_

Someone in the crowd screamed, bringing Lucy back to the present. The guests began to run, Disapparating where they stood, which meant that the protective enchantments surrounding the Burrow had been broken. Members of the Order of the Phoenix were drawing their wands, preparing for a fight that was coming any second.

Lucy looked around wildly, but she couldn't see any sign of Harry, Hermione, or Ron. "Do you see them anywhere?" she asked Jeremy as she pulled out her wand.

"No," Jeremy answered. "Lucy, there's no time. We need to get you out of here—"

"I need to make sure Harry gets out first!" Lucy insisted. "It doesn't matter if I'm with him or not, but I need to know that he gets away!"

"Lucy! LUCY!"

Lucy turned to the sound of her name being yelled from clear across the tent. Hermione and Ron stood holding hands, and she could see Harry just beyond them. Lucy's heart sunk; she wasn't going to make it to them. Even if she tried running, she'd never make it through the chaotic swarm of people before the Death Eaters arrived.

"Go!" she shouted to them. "_Go_! Get Harry out of here!"

Ron looked like he wanted to argue, but Hermione interrupted him with a shake of her head. Together, the two of them went to Harry, and then they disappeared.

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Hermione was keeping her promise. Then, steeling herself, she turned to join the remain Order members.

"Lucy," Jeremy said, stopping her. He took hold of her wrist, and then Lucy felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm ready." It was Sally-Anne.

"What—?" Lucy began, but she was cut off as she heard the unmistakable noise of many people appearing out of thin air.

"We're going," Jeremy said. "_Now_." He spun on his heel, and Lucy was wrapped in darkness.

**~LJ:TW~**

They Apparated into a dark room with a _crack_.

"Where are we?" Lucy asked, still gripping her wand tightly in her hand.

There was a pause before Jeremy replied quietly, "I'm sorry. We just had to get you out of there."

Lucy couldn't see him, so she lit up the tip of her wand with a wave. Jeremy and Sally-Anne were watching her, with grave expressions on their faces.

"But what about the others?" Lucy said, panic building in her chest. "The Weasleys, the Order, Remus and Tonks—we have to go back and help them—!"

"They can take care of themselves," Sally-Anne said softly. "We've been prepared for this for days."

"We can't just leave them!" Lucy insisted.

"Lucy?" a different voice asked.

A few lamps in the room came to life, and Lucy found herself face to face with her friend, and fellow Gryffindor, Neville Longbottom. "Neville?" she said blankly, extinguishing her wand.

"Am I to assume the worst?" another voice asked.

Lucy looked around Neville to see his grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, entering the room. Lucy had met Mrs. Longbottom only once, and that was at St. Mungo's two Christmases previously.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt has reported that the Ministry has fallen," Jeremy said.

"Can someone _please_ tell me what's going on?" Lucy asked desperately.

Jeremy turned to her. "The Order knew that the Ministry was going to fall any day," he explained. "We all knew that you were planning on going with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but we wanted to be prepared in case you got separated from them. We knew you needed to be protected, especially if we were at the Burrow when the protective enchantments were broken. The plan became to Apparate you here, to the Longbottoms' house, since nobody knows that Mrs. Longbottom is a part of the Order."

"Why didn't you tell me any of this?" Lucy demanded.

"Because we knew you probably wouldn't cooperate if you knew the full plan," Sally-Anne answered.

"The Order suspected that the Death Eaters would attempt to get into known members' houses once they took over the Ministry," Jeremy added.

"Why couldn't we just go back to our own house?" Lucy asked.

"Our house has a Fidelius Charm on it," Sally-Anne reminded her. "You can't Apparate directly into a house or a building that's protected that way—you know that. We needed to get you somewhere that you would be protected immediately. We'll head back home when we get the all-clear signal from Remus or Tonks."

"Until then, I have offered you my home to stay in," Mrs. Longbottom said. "As long as you lay low, there is no reason for the Death Eaters to suspect that you're hiding out here."

"Remus and Tonks are in on this, too?" Lucy asked.

"Yes," Jeremy said. "They helped come up with the plan."

Lucy sighed, stowing her wand in her pocket. "Is there any way to find out about what happened to the people at the wedding?" she asked.

"Not without giving away where we are," Sally-Anne said glumly.

Lucy tugged her hair elastic out in frustration, her hair tumbling down her back.

"If you come with me, I'll show you to your rooms," Mrs. Longbottom said. "We have plenty of space for all of you, of course. Come along, now.…"

Lucy followed Jeremy and Sally-Anne further into the house. They had Apparated into the foyer. Lucy was surprised at how big Neville's house was; he had never mentioned before that he lived in a mansion.

Mrs. Longbottom took them upstairs and showed them to the guest rooms. "Here's the first room," she announced, opening the door. "This one will be for Sally-Anne and Lucy." Then she led them a bit further down the hall and opened another door. "Jeremy will be staying in this room. Our house-elf Daisy will be able to get you all some refreshments, if you so desire."

Mrs. Longbottom left them alone to get settled. Lucy stood in the upstairs hallway with Jeremy, Sally-Anne, and Neville, feeling drained.

"I can't believe you two didn't tell me that you were planning this," Lucy said, looking between Jeremy and Sally-Anne. "Especially since you didn't even know if you would need to do it."

"Like I said, you wouldn't have cooperated if you'd known about it," Sally-Anne said. "If you think that You-Know-Who wouldn't be interested in holding you hostage so that Harry would come save you, then you are—I'm sorry to say—stupider than I thought."

"Thanks," Lucy deadpanned. Then she looked at Neville. "How did you get roped into this?" she asked him.

"We volunteered," Neville answered. "They wanted you to be with someone you felt comfortable around, and Gran immediately said that we could help out."

"Why didn't we know that your gran was part of the Order?" Lucy asked curiously.

"Gran says that she's too old to be in the Order," Neville explained, "but she always told Dumbledore that she would be able and willing to help out in other ways."

There was silence for a moment as Lucy absorbed the new information.

"Haven't got anything to eat, have you, Neville?" Sally-Anne spoke up.

"Sure, let's go down to the kitchen," Neville replied. He led the way down the stairs and to the back of the house.

They entered a spacious kitchen and found a house-elf cleaning the stove.

"Hello, Daisy," Neville said.

"Master Neville!" the house-elf squeaked, turning around to smile at them. "And welcome to Master's guests! Is there anything Daisy can get you, sirs or misses?"

"Yeah, have you got any tea in, Daisy?" Sally-Anne asked.

"Of course, miss!" Daisy said. "Right away, miss! Anything else?"

"Maybe just some sandwiches," Neville said, and Daisy hurried off to prepare their snack. "You can have a seat, if you like," Neville added, gesturing to the counter in the middle of the room. There were a few stools standing around it.

Daisy came scurrying back to them as they all sat down around the counter. The house-elf dropped off a tray with a teapot and four cups for them.

"_Accio_," Neville mumbled, waving his wand. From a cupboard across the room flew a bottle of Firewhiskey. He opened it and poured a small amount into one of the teacups. Then he topped it off with some tea and pushed it to Lucy. "I figured you might need that," he explained, and Lucy gave him a grateful look before taking a large gulp.

After a few minutes of silence, Daisy returned with their sandwiches. She bowed low to them as they expressed their gratitude, and then she left the room.

"I don't know what I'm going to do now," Lucy sighed after a few bites of her food. "I know I told Hermione that if they needed to leave without me, they should, but I didn't have a plan for if it actually happened that way. It's not like I can go back to Hogwarts."

"What do you mean?" Neville asked.

"If the Death Eaters have taken over the Ministry, they'll have control of Hogwarts, too," Lucy answered. "There's no way that they'd let me back in, although I don't know if I'd want to go back even if they did." Her eyes went wide.

"What is it?" Jeremy asked urgently, noticing the look on her face.

"I'm just trying to imagine what Hogwarts would even be like under a new regime based on hate and fear," Lucy replied. She vaguely remembered something Harry had once said in their first year: _He'll flatten it, or turn it into a school for the Dark Arts! _She wondered how true that statement might be now that Voldemort had really taken over.

"Lucy, it's okay," Jeremy said soothingly, putting his hand on her shoulder. "We don't have to worry about that right now. We'll just have to wait and see what the Ministry is going to do next."

"You mean what the Death Eaters are going to do next," Sally-Anne said heavily.

"They're the same thing now," Lucy whispered. "The Ministry has fallen, and most of the public has no idea."

They finished their food in silence. Then they sat around in Neville's kitchen for a while longer, looking between one another but not saying anything.

"Maybe we should get some sleep," Neville suggested.

"Lucy," Jeremy said, shaking Lucy slightly. "Come on, there's nothing more that we can do tonight. We're just going to have to be patient—"

There was a sudden burst of light, and Lucy jumped up as the silvery form of a Patronus flew into the room. It took the shape of a wolf, and Tonks's voice came out of it.

"_We are safe_," it said. "_Do not reply. Stay where you are. We will let you know when you can come home._" Then it faded away.

"They're safe," Lucy breathed, feeling so relieved that she collapsed back onto her stool. "They're okay."

Jeremy got up and wrapped her into a hug. She relaxed in his arms.

"Well, we need to get to sleep," Sally-Anne said. "I'm glad that they're safe. Now we have to do as they say, and stay put."

Lucy nodded in agreement, and the four of them went upstairs. Lucy paused, wanting desperately to follow Jeremy to his room. However, knowing that she was a guest in Augusta Longbottom's house, she had to respect the woman's wishes.

"You all right?" Jeremy asked.

"It'll be weird sleeping in a different bedroom than you," Lucy admitted. "But I'll be fine. I love you."

"I love you, too," Jeremy said before pressing a kiss to her mouth.

Lucy followed Sally-Anne into the room that Mrs. Longbottom had designated as theirs. "What's all this?" Lucy asked when she found a bag sitting at the end of her bed.

"Like we said, we'd had this planned for days," Sally-Anne said. "Jeremy and I tried to find clothes of yours that you wouldn't notice were missing to send here."

"Thanks," Lucy said, pulling out an older pair of pajamas. Having some of her own things calmed her down considerably. "I still wish you would have told me about all this," she commented, sliding into her bed. The sheets were surprisingly soft.

"You would have tried to talk us out of it," Sally-Anne said, also getting into her bed. "We know that you would have rather stayed and helped protect the Burrow, but it would have been too dangerous for you."

"I know," Lucy sighed. "Good night, Sally-Anne."

"Good night," Sally-Anne replied.

**~LJ:TW~**

Lucy, Jeremy, and Sally-Anne spent the next three days at the Longbottoms' home, waiting to receive any kind of information. Lucy was keeping a close eye on the _Daily Prophet_, but so far it hadn't said much. The only piece of news that interested Lucy was when the paper reported that Scrimgeour had resigned—which was a lie to cover up that he was, in fact, dead—and had been replaced by a man named Pius Thicknesse.

"Obviously You-Know-Who doesn't want to bring attention to the fact that he's taken over the Ministry," Sally-Anne commented after Lucy had read the short article aloud.

On the third morning of their stay, Jeremy was the first one to get his hands on the paper, and he let out a shout.

"What?" Lucy asked immediately.

Jeremy turned the paper around and held it up so that Lucy, Sally-Anne, and Neville could see it. There, right on the front page, was a large photo of Harry. Lucy looked immediately to the headline, worried that maybe they had captured him.

_Wanted for Questioning About the Death of Albus Dumbledore_

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought they'd found him," she explained to the others.

"Why would the Ministry think that Harry killed Dumbledore?" Neville asked.

"Well, for one, Rita Skeeter wrote earlier this summer that Harry was seen running from the tower just after Dumbledore had fallen," Sally-Anne pointed out. "Nobody but Harry and a few Death Eaters witnessed what actually happened."

"And of course, the Ministry is going to try and take the public's mind off You-Know-Who," Jeremy added. "What better way than to try and discredit Harry?"

"Can I see that?" Lucy asked, pointing to the _Prophet_. Jeremy slid the paper over to her, and she opened up to the next page. Another article drew her eye immediately; this headline read _Muggleborn Register_.

"Listen to this," Lucy said before reading the article aloud.

_The Ministry of Magic is undertaking a survey of so-called "Muggleborns," the better to understand how they came to possess magical secrets._

_Recent research undertaken by the Department of Mysteries reveals that magic can only be passed from person to person when Wizards reproduce. Where no proven Wizarding ancestry exists, therefore, the so-called Muggleborn is likely to have obtained magical power by theft or force._

_The Ministry is determined to root out such usurpers of magical power, and to this end has issued an invitation to every so-called Muggleborn, to present themselves for interview by the newly appointed Muggleborn Registration Commission_.

"That's disgusting," Sally-Anne said. "How could anyone let this happen?"

Before conversation could go further, four owls swooped into the kitchen. They each dropped an envelope onto the table before taking off again out the open window.

"Hogwarts letters!" Neville said, passing an envelope each to the other three.

They all tore into the envelopes and found, instead of their usual welcome note and supply list, an announcement letter.

_Dear Miss Jones,_

_We are writing to inform you that the Ministry of Magic has announced that attendance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will now be compulsory. No students living in Britain may attend any school abroad, nor may parents teach their children from home._

_Before any student may attend Hogwarts School, they must be given a Blood Status. The Ministry will be giving Blood Statuses to all school-aged children for free. Every school-aged child has been given an appointment with the Ministry to present themselves and receive their Blood Status. Your appointment will be as follows:_

_Lucy Jones, August thirteenth_

_Failure to comply with these rules will result in appropriate lawful action._

_Yours,_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Board of Governors_

"_Blood Status_?" Lucy asked with a hollow laugh.

"They're making attendance compulsory now, too," Jeremy pointed out.

"All those poor Muggleborn students," Lucy muttered to herself.

"What?" Sally-Anne asked.

"Well, think about it," Lucy said. "There's this Muggleborn Registration Commission now that will be taking Muggleborns into custody. Everyone who will be attending Hogwarts needs to get a Blood Status and prove that they are of Wizarding descent. There's no way that the Muggleborn students will be able to go to Hogwarts this year."

"I suppose that's true…" Jeremy said slowly, frowning.

Lucy's mind started to race. "We need to help the Muggleborn students whose families can't go abroad," she stated.

"Wait—what?" Sally-Anne yelped. "What are _we _supposed to do about it?"

"We can't let these young kids get killed just because they're Muggleborn!" Lucy insisted.

"Nobody said that they're killing them," Neville said.

"Well, what do you think they're going to do?" Lucy asked. "This Muggleborn Registration Commission is going to be pulling any and all Muggleborns from Wizarding society. Do you really think they're just going to take their wands and let them go on their way back into the Muggle world?"

"I—I guess not," Neville said, looking horrified.

"I need to talk to Professor McGonagall," Lucy said. "We have to find out how to hide the Muggleborns that can't get out of the country."

"How are you going to talk to McGonagall?" Sally-Anne asked doubtfully. "We don't even know where she lives over the summer. Maybe she won't even be back at Hogwarts this year!"

Lucy was silent for a few moments while she thought. Then she said suddenly, "Daisy."

"What?" Neville asked, startled.

"We can send your house-elf to find her and give her a message!" Lucy said.

"I don't know," Neville said. "My gran might notice if she's gone for too long."

"It's worth a try, isn't it?" Lucy asked. "Please, Neville—I need to talk to her."

There was a pause.

"Fine, we can try," Neville agreed. "Daisy?"

The house-elf hurried over to her master and bowed low to the ground.

"I have a job for you," Neville said. "I need you to find Professor Minerva McGonagall and tell her to come here, if she can."

"Of course, Master," Daisy said. "Daisy will leave right away!"

"Oh, and Daisy?" Neville said before Daisy could leave. The house-elf turned back to him, and Neville said, "Please don't tell my gran about this."

"Yes, Master," Daisy said. Then, with a _crack_, she Disapparated.

**~LJ:TW~**

"I hope you know that this is quite unorthodox, Miss Jones," Professor Minerva McGonagall said, settling down into an armchair in the Longbottoms' sitting room. "We teachers do have lives outside of school, I'm sure you know."

"Yes, well, it's a bit of an emergency," Lucy said. "Thank you for coming." She took a breath and said, "We need to do something to protect the Muggleborn students."

Professor McGonagall looked taken aback as she stared at Lucy. "Please explain yourself, Miss Jones," she said after a moment.

"I'm sure that you know about the Ministry's current… condition," Lucy began. Professor McGonagall nodded, and Lucy continued, "Then you are also aware that they are trying to keep the Muggleborns out of school. I don't know what's going to happen to them if we leave them to the Muggleborn Registration Commission, but it can't be anything good. We can't let these under-aged children suffer just because they happen to be Muggleborns."

Professor McGonagall studied Lucy carefully for a few moments before speaking. "I agree with you," she said slowly. "I have already taken it upon myself to remove the letters that would go to the first-year Muggleborns. I'm assuming you have seen your letters already?"

"Yes, we got them this morning," Lucy replied. "Have they appointed a headmaster or headmistress yet?"

"No," Professor McGonagall said, "and if the Ministry is indeed under the control of You-Know-Who, we can only assume that he will be placing—one of his own into that position."

"I'm sure that many Muggleborns will be going into hiding," Lucy said, "but I'm also sure there are many young Muggleborns with families that won't understand how much danger they're in. And—well, it's also not fair that they won't be able to continue their education."

"What is it exactly that you need from me, Miss Jones?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"I need a list of the Muggleborn students," Lucy answered. "We need to find them before they go to the Ministry to receive their Blood Statuses, and we need to either convince their families to leave the country or at least let us take the children into our protection."

"Where would you be housing all these children?" Professor McGonagall asked. "There are many Muggleborn students, as I'm sure you are aware."

"My house is a safe house with a Fidelius Charm on it," Lucy said. "If we can get all the Muggleborn students there, they can hide for now. They can't stay there forever, though."

"Where do you suggest that we move them?" Professor McGonagall questioned.

"The safest place in the Wizarding world," Lucy replied. "Hogwarts."

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: I'm not sure if it was obvious that Lucy was going to get left behind, but here we are: Lucy has been left behind.**_

_**The original idea was that Lucy was going to remain behind voluntarily, because Dumbledore left her a mission to protect the Muggleborns. But, like I said before, that made Lucy a little too special in my eyes. So instead, I decided that she should get left behind.**_

_**So now, Lucy decides that she needs to help the Muggleborn students partially because she wants to be doing something to help. She can't risk trying to find and meet up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, so she feels like she needs to be doing something. She's definitely showing her Gryffindor tendencies, coming up with a plan on the fly to try and help people.**_

_**The next chapter is the first Interlude!**_


	8. Interlude 1: Escape

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Interlude 1 – Escape**

"Where are we?" Ron asked.

"Tottenham Court Road," Hermione answered. "Walk—just walk—we need to find somewhere for you to change."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione hurried down the street, dodging around groups of people, who, thankfully, didn't pay them any attention. Most of them were laughing and talking loudly with each other—some were even stumbling drunkenly along.

"Hermione, we haven't got anything to change into," Ron pointed out as they continued on.

"Why didn't I make sure I had the Invisibility Cloak with me?" Harry grumbled, looking upset with himself. "All last year, I kept it on me, and—"

"It's okay," Hermione insisted. "I've got the cloak, and I've got clothes for both of you. Just try and act naturally until—this will do." She stopped suddenly, turning down a side street.

The boys followed her a bit further until they found a deserted alleyway. Hermione hid behind a rubbish bin and slid her beaded bag off her shoulder. She opened it and stuck her entire arm inside.

"When you say you've got the cloak and clothes…" Harry began, looking confused at what his friend was doing.

"Yes, they're here," Hermione answered him. She began pulling out clothing, dropping them to the ground before finally finding the Invisibility Cloak and passing it over to Harry.

Ron gaped at her before asking, "How in the ruddy hell—?"

"Undetectable Extension Charm," Hermione replied. "Tricky, but I think I've done it okay; anyway, I've managed to fit everything we need in here." She shook the bag, and there was the muffled sound of objects bouncing off each other. "Oh, damn, that'll be the books," Hermione commented, opening the bag and examining the inside. "And I had them all stacked by subject.… Oh, well. Harry, you'd better take the Invisibility Cloak. Ron, hurry up and change." She handed Ron his clothes.

"When did you do all this?" Harry questioned.

"I told you at the Burrow," Hermione answered impatiently. "I've had the essentials packed for days, you know, in case we needed to make a quick getaway. I packed your rucksack this morning, Harry, after you changed—put it in here—I just had a feeling…"

"You're amazing, you are," Ron complimented, handing over the dress robes that he'd just taken off.

"Thank you," Hermione replied, her cheeks tinging pink. "Please, Harry, get that cloak on!"

Harry did as he was told. As he stood in the alleyway with his friends, the events of the night repeated in his head, and he began to slowly come to terms with all that had happened. "Where's Lucy?" he asked, realizing that she wasn't with them.

Hermione froze for a fraction of a second before saying, "She—she didn't make it in time."

"What the fuck does that mean?" Harry demanded. "_Where is she_?"

"She was across the tent from us," Hermione told him softly. "She told us to go without her."

"What? Why?" Harry asked, frustrated.

"Because I made her a promise," Hermione explained. "The morning after we had gotten you from the Dursleys, she made me swear that if we needed to leave and she wasn't there, we should go without her. Keeping you safe and hunting the Horcruxes was more important than making sure the four of us were together."

"Why didn't she tell _me_ any of this?" Harry wondered.

"I think she was assuming that she was going to come with us," Hermione answered. "But there wasn't enough time. She wouldn't have made it to us before the Death Eaters arrived, and it was more important for us to get you out of there."

"Can't we just go back for her?" Harry asked.

"You heard Kingsley," Ron cut in. "The Ministry has fallen. We have to stay out of sight. It's only a matter of time until your face winds up on a wanted poster, mate."

"Lucy only wants to protect you," Hermione added.

Harry was quiet for a moment. Regardless of what Hermione and Ron told him, he still felt a sense of guilt. He'd only known that Lucy was his sister for about a year, but they'd been friends for many more before that. Of everyone that he could count on, Lucy had always been first in line—even before Ginny—even before Ron or Hermione.

"Are you all right, Harry?" Hermione asked when he still hadn't said anything.

"Yeah—fine," Harry answered shortly. It was a lie; nothing about their current situation was fine. He only hoped Lucy knew what she was doing and would remain safe. "What about the others? Everyone at the wedding? We have to—"

"We can't worry about them now," Hermione interrupted. She knew that his emotions were finally catching up to him, so she decided to not press him about Lucy. "It's _you_ they're after, Harry, and we'll just put everyone in even more danger going back."

"She's right," Ron agreed. "Most of the Order were there; they'll look after everyone."

"Yeah," Harry said, anxiety crawling over him. "Yeah."

"Come on," Hermione said; Ron was finished changing his clothes. "I think we ought to keep moving."

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: Here's the first interlude! As you can see, it will be a few short insights into what Harry, Ron, and Hermione are doing while Lucy is helping the Muggleborns.**_


	9. 8: The Muggleborns

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 8 – The Muggleborns**

"_Hogwarts_?" Professor McGonagall repeated, looking incredulous. "How in the _world_ do you think you'd be able to hide a group of students at Hogwarts while it is under You-Know-Who's control?"

"I don't know yet," Lucy admitted. "There has to be a way, though."

Professor McGonagall let out a long sigh. "I can get you the list of students," she said, "on one condition."

"What's that?" Lucy asked warily.

"I'm going to come with you to visit the families," Professor McGonagall said firmly. "Telling a family to part ways with their young ones because a killer has taken over our government is going to be difficult enough; it might be helpful to have an adult along."

"There is another way," Lucy said slowly. She paused, thinking about how she wanted to word her next statement.

"Do go on, Miss Jones," Professor McGonagall said.

"Memory Charms," Lucy suggested. "That's what Hermione did to her parents. She used a Memory Charm on them, so that they forgot about her and then moved to Australia. We could use Memory Charms on the families to make them forget their children and leave the country."

Professor McGonagall said, "That is—"

"Very risky, I know," Lucy finished for her. "It's a morally gray area, too, which I'm also aware of. But think about it: we go to the house and take the Muggleborn away. Their family gets left behind. The Muggleborn doesn't show up to receive their Blood Status, and the Ministry goes knocking on their door. It's just as important to protect the families as it is to protect the Muggleborns."

"When you put it that way…" Professor McGonagall trailed off, looking thoughtful.

"The hardest part will be determining whether we let the Muggleborns decide if we use Memory Charms on their families or not," Lucy sighed. She bit her lip for a moment before continuing, "I suppose we could leave it up to the parents.… It's not like they'll remember that they agreed after the charm has been performed."

"That will have to do," Professor McGonagall said. "We cannot leave such a big decision up to young children. And what happens after You-Know-Who is defeated, and the Muggleborns no longer have to hide?"

"We'll be able to lift the Memory Charms at that point," Lucy said. "Which means we'll need a way to track the families who agree to it. I know it's not ideal—"

"It's _far_ from ideal," Professor McGonagall agreed. "As far as I see it, we don't have much of a choice. Because you're right—we cannot subject children to the horrors that You-Know-Who would inflict on them just because they are Muggleborns."

"So when can we start gathering them?" Lucy asked.

"Well, appointments to receive Blood Statuses start on the tenth," Professor McGonagall said. "We'll need to reach out to these students before they go into the Ministry. I say the sooner the better."

"I agree, although there is one thing," Lucy said. "We're waiting for the all-clear from Remus and Tonks before going back home, and I don't want to ask Mrs. Longbottom if we can move a bunch of students into her home—"

"Excuse me, Miss Jones." Mrs. Longbottom had appeared in the sitting room doorway. "Minerva, how lovely to see you," she said. "I just wanted to inform Miss Jones that if she needed to hide some Muggleborn students here, you would be more than welcome to do so." Lucy felt her eyebrows rising, and Mrs. Longbottom chuckled, "Surprised?"

"Yes," Lucy answered honestly.

"Well, as I'm sure my grandson told you, I'm much too old to be fighting for the Order," Mrs. Longbottom said. "However, if I can help in any other way, I will."

"That's settled, then," Professor McGonagall said. "I will be here tomorrow morning at nine a.m. with the list of Muggleborn students." Lucy nodded, and the professor stood up to leave. She paused, turned back to Lucy, and said, "Because of these events, I'm assuming that Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger will not be joining us at Hogwarts this year. Will you?"

"No," Lucy said with a shake of her head. "I don't think the Death Eaters would let me walk through those doors, let alone go down to the Ministry to get my Blood Status."

"That could indeed pose a problem," Professor McGonagall said. "I'll see you tomorrow." She left the room, with Mrs. Longbottom following her.

"How'd it go?"

Lucy turned to see Jeremy, Sally-Anne, and Neville coming into the room from a different door. "Like you don't know," she said teasingly. She knew full well that her three friends would have been listening to the conversation.

"You know, I was thinking," Neville began, "if we want to hide the students at Hogwarts at some point… maybe we could use the Room of Requirement."

"That's an idea," Lucy said thoughtfully. "If anyone figured out what we were doing, they'd be able to find us pretty easily, though. That's how Umbridge busted the D.A."

"Unless we give the room instructions that it can only let certain people in," Neville said. "If we made it so the room couldn't to be discovered by anyone working with the Death Eaters or the Ministry, it just might work."

"Well, we can't have anyone walking in on a room full of Muggleborns that shouldn't be there," Lucy said. "We're going to have to test it. And by _we_, I mean you three, and whoever else wants to help. Not to mention we'd have to figure out how to get food into the room, since the room can't produce food on its own."

"How do you know it can't?" Neville asked curiously.

"When we found it to use for the D.A., I tried to make some food appear for me, but it didn't work," Lucy replied.

"How many Muggleborns do you think will come?" Jeremy asked.

"No idea," Lucy said. "I'm sure it's going to be difficult for some families to part with their children. But they belong at Hogwarts, no matter what the Death Eaters and blood purists think."

"We can only hope that their families will agree with that," Sally-Anne said.

**~LJ:TW~**

"Nervous, Miss Jones?"

Lucy looked up at Professor McGonagall, who was standing next to her on Kevin Entwhistle's doorstep. He was the first Muggleborn they were visiting.

"A little bit," Lucy responded. "I want to help them, but I don't know how we're going to convince these parents to let us take their children and then put Memory Charms on them."

"Well, let's find out," Professor McGonagall said. She leaned forward and rang the doorbell.

The two of them waited for a few moments. Professor McGonagall then knocked on the door. Again, they waited, but there was no answer.

"Are you looking for the Entwhistles?" a voice nearby called to them.

Lucy and Professor McGonagall turned to see a neighbor watching them curiously. "Yes," Professor McGonagall answered.

"I'm afraid they've just moved," the neighbor informed them. "All four of them, just a few days ago. Mrs. Entwhistle was saying that she wanted to go somewhere with a bit more sun."

"Did they tell you where they were going?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Spain, I think," the neighbor said. "Mr. Entwhistle has a relative who lives there."

"Thank you for your help," Professor McGonagall said.

The neighbor waved and went back into her house.

"I'm hoping most of the Muggleborn families left the country," Lucy said as she and Professor McGonagall walked away from the front door. "That would make protecting them much easier. Who's next?"

"Justin Finch-Fletchley," Professor McGonagall answered. She held her arm out to Lucy, who took hold of it. Then Professor McGonagall spun on the spot, and they Disapparated.

**~LJ:TW~**

They appeared in a completely different neighborhood. Professor McGonagall led the way up to the door of the Finch-Fletchleys' home. She knocked, and she and Lucy waited. This time, there was an answer.

"Can I help you?" a young girl asked.

"We're looking for Mr. or Mrs. Finch-Fletchley, please," Professor McGonagall said.

The girl nodded and went into the house.

A moment later, a woman came to the door. "I'm Laurie Finch-Fletchley," the woman said.

"Good morning, Mrs. Finch-Fletchley," Professor McGonagall said in a business-like tone. "We met once before, about six years ago. My name is Minerva McGonagall, and I'm a professor at Hogwarts School."

"Yes," Mrs. Finch-Fletchley said, frowning. "I was going to write about the letter we received the other day."

"That is also why we are here," Professor McGonagall said. "This is Lucy Jones; she is a classmate of your son's." Lucy shook Mrs. Finch-Fletchley's hand, and Professor McGonagall requested, "We were wondering if your son was home, and if so, could we speak to you both?"

"Of course—come in," Mrs. Finch-Fletchley said. She showed them into the sitting room before calling for Justin to join them.

"Hi, Lucy," Justin said, sounding surprised, as he entered the room.

"Hi, Justin," Lucy replied, giving him a small smile. Then she looked at Professor McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall briefly explained to Mrs. Finch-Fletchley and Justin what was happening in the Wizarding world. She cut to the point very quickly, which Lucy was grateful for. Mrs. Finch-Fletchley was nearly in tears by the time Professor McGonagall had finished explaining.

"But why would they want to hurt my son?" she asked in a wobbling voice.

"Mum, they want to hurt _all_ Muggleborns," Justin said, his voice hard. "I've told you about the blood purists before, remember?"

"What about us?" Mrs. Finch-Fletchley asked, looking at Professor McGonagall. "When Justin doesn't show up for school, won't they come looking for him?"

"We're not sure," Professor McGonagall said. "The best solution is to move out of the country. However, I know that is unrealistic for some families. If you do choose to stay, I'm sure they will send someone to interrogate you about your son."

Mrs. Finch-Fletchley stared at Professor McGonagall, the fear obvious in her eyes. "We can't leave the country," she said in a small voice. "I can't take my daughters out of school and uproot them from their lives, but I want to protect Justin.…" She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and blew her nose into it.

"I'm going with them, Mum," Justin said suddenly, and Mrs. Finch-Fletchley turned to her son, startled. "If they come asking for me, tell them that I ran away," Justin continued. "I have to do the right thing, and I have to keep you safe."

"Oh, Justin!" Mrs. Finch-Fletchley sobbed, throwing her arms around his neck.

Lucy and Professor McGonagall exchanged a glance. "There actually is another solution," Professor McGonagall said.

"There is?" Mrs. Finch-Fletchley asked.

"Yes," Professor McGonagall said. "We could place a Memory Charm on you, your husband, and your daughters. It would make you forget all about Justin and the Wizarding world. Hopefully it would protect you from the danger, and we can lift it once Justin is safe again."

Mrs. Finch-Fletchley stared at Professor McGonagall. Lucy could see the doubt in the other woman's eyes. "But—my son," Mrs. Finch Fletchley whispered. "My only son. I couldn't—I—"

"If you truly want to protect your son, this may be the best way to do it," Lucy spoke up finally.

Mrs. Finch-Fletchley broke down again. Justin simply patted her back, but his gaze was steady as he looked at Lucy.

"Do it," he said.

Lucy gave him a sad smile; she knew that she could count on his selflessness to protect his family by any means necessary.

"I must have your mother's permission first," Professor McGonagall said. "I will not perform such magic on someone without their consent."

"Do it," Mrs. Finch-Fletchley said so quietly that Lucy almost missed it. "If it's going to protect my son, please… do it."

"Your husband and daughters will need to be present," Professor McGonagall said. Then, as Mrs. Finch-Fletchley went to fetch the rest of her family, she murmured to Lucy, "Go with Justin and help him pack his things. He doesn't need to be here to see this."

Lucy nodded both her agreement and understanding. She turned to Justin and said, "Come on. Let's get your stuff."

Justin led her upstairs to his room. She waited out in the hallway as he packed his belongings, and she could hear Professor McGonagall performing the Memory Charm downstairs.

A few minutes later, Justin rejoined Lucy.

"Do you have everything?" Lucy asked. "And I do mean everything. If they see anything of yours, it might disrupt the Memory Charm."

"Yes," Justin replied, gesturing for Lucy to look inside his bedroom.

Lucy took a few steps forward to see a bare room. She nodded and turned back to him. "Ready for this?" she asked.

The two of them went down the stairs to find his family looking a bit dazed. Justin's face fell as he took in their empty gazes.

"Come along," Professor McGonagall said briskly. "They won't remember the first few minutes after the charm was placed on them, so let's go before they ask what we're doing in their house."

**~LJ:TW~**

Just like that, they had their first Muggleborn student. After they exited Justin's house, Professor McGonagall transported his trunk to the Longbottoms'. Then she explained to Justin what exactly the Memory Charm she'd placed on his family had done. They Apparated Justin back to the Longbottoms', and then Lucy and Professor McGonagall continued on their mission.

By the end of the night, they had gathered seven more Muggleborn students to protect. Some of the families they visited refused to let their children leave them, and Lucy and Professor McGonagall had convinced most of them to go abroad instead. Other houses were empty, the families already having fled the country.

"I will return again tomorrow morning at nine," Professor McGonagall said when she and Lucy had Apparated back to the Longbottoms' home.

"Sounds good, Professor," Lucy said, "and thank you."

Professor McGonagall nodded once, stepped away from the door, and Disapparated. Lucy turned and went into the house.

"Good evening, Miss Jones," Mrs. Longbottom greeted.

"Hello, Mrs. Longbottom," Lucy said.

"Busy day, I see," Mrs. Longbottom said. "Everyone is in the kitchen having dinner. Daisy has been a bit overwhelmed; she hasn't had to tend to this many people in a long time."

"Sorry about that," Lucy said sheepishly.

"That's quite all right," Mrs. Longbottom said briskly. "I'll leave you to tend to them. We have three other guest rooms, and we can add more cots as we get more Muggleborns. How many more families do you need to visit?"

"I'm not sure," Lucy said. "Professor McGonagall has the list, but she said it should only take a couple more days."

Mrs. Longbottom nodded and said good night before heading for her room. Lucy went into the kitchen to see the small group sitting around the table.

"Welcome back," Jeremy said, getting up and walking over to Lucy. He kissed her quickly, and Lucy smiled at him.

"So, how's everyone settling in?" Lucy asked, looking at the eight Muggleborn students they had managed to round up.

"Everything's been okay," Justin said. "It was hard to have to leave our families on short notice, but it's necessary to keep them safe."

Lucy nodded. "Equally importantly, it's to keep all of _you_ safe," she said. She looked at the two youngest boys in the room, who were only thirteen years old. "I know it isn't easy," she said quietly, "but it'll be for the best. We don't know what that Muggle Registration Commission is planning on doing, but they probably won't let you go back to school."

"What happens next?" Tracey Abercrombie asked. She was a fifteen-year-old Gryffindor who would have been starting her fifth year at school.

"Well, we're going to be here at the Longbottoms' for a little while longer," Lucy said. "When we get the all-clear, we'll go back to my place. We'll make sure that there will be plenty of room for everyone."

"So we're just going to hide out until You-Know-Who is defeated?" Colin Creevey spoke up. He was a sixteen-year-old Gryffindor who had been a little obsessed with Harry when he was younger.

"This is all I've got right now," Lucy said with a shrug.

There was a moment of silence.

"Where's Harry?" Colin asked. "I figured he was going to be here, too."

"Well, he's not," Lucy replied shortly. She sighed and continued, "Sorry. I don't know how many of you get the _Daily Prophet_, but a few days ago it reported that the Ministry are looking for Harry, to question him about Dumbledore's death."

"What, they reckon _Harry_ killed Dumbledore?" Tracey asked incredulously.

"The Ministry has been taken over by You-Know-Who," Sally-Anne reminded her. "They're just trying to distract the public by making us think that maybe Harry isn't the golden boy we all believe him to be."

"Harry _didn't_ kill Dumbledore, did he, Lucy?" Euan Abercrombie, Tracey's younger brother, asked in a small voice, and Tracey quickly put her arm around him.

"Of course Harry didn't kill Dumbledore," Lucy said soothingly.

"Then who did?" Euan asked.

"Snape," Neville spat in a hard voice. "Snape killed Dumbledore."

There was silence again.

"Look, I'm sure it's been a very hard day for you all," Lucy said. "Did you find out where you're going to be sleeping while you're here?"

There were murmurs of confirmation throughout the Muggleborns.

"Good," Lucy added. "Well, if you don't mind, I think I'm going to go up to my room now. I'm beat."

"Don't you want something to eat?" Neville asked in concern.

"I'll be all right," Lucy replied.

"I'll come with you," Jeremy said firmly, taking her hand in his.

Lucy smiled at him before leading the way out of the kitchen. The two of them climbed the stairs to the second floor and went into the room Lucy was staying in. Lucy went straight to her bed and collapsed onto it.

"Are you all right?" Jeremy asked immediately.

Lucy held her hand out, and Jeremy took it. She pulled him down onto the bed next to her. "I'm just tired," she told him in a rough voice. "It was really hard to pull these kids from their families, especially the young ones." She sighed. "I just hope that I'm doing the right thing. You should have seen some of their faces when they saw their families after the Memory Charm had been put on them."

"Well, what else could we do?" Jeremy asked. "The Ministry will never let them go back to Hogwarts, especially if they have to prove if they have magical blood."

"I don't know," Lucy sighed. "Ship them all off to the States?"

"That's not practical," Jeremy replied.

"I know," Lucy said. "I wish none of this was happening," she confessed in a low voice. "I wish that we could be going back to Hogwarts like it was any normal year. I just want to go to classes, and sit with you in the Great Hall while we eat lunch with all our friends." She looked over at Jeremy. "How do I even know if they're alive? What if Harry or Ron or Hermione are dead?"

"We'd know if they were dead," Jeremy said reassuringly.

"We'd know if _Harry_ was dead," Lucy corrected him. She curled up against his side, nestling under his arm.

Jeremy pressed a kiss onto her head. "We're going to get through this," he murmured. "We're going to beat him."

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: At first, I just had the Muggleborns leave their families without doing any Memory Charms. It basically left the families as sitting ducks, so I thought that taking a leaf out of Hermione's book would be the most obvious idea for Lucy.**_

_**I also think it's important to note that, while they gathered 8 Muggleborn students, they convinced a lot more to leave the country. The ones that they've taken with them are definitely in the minority.**_


	10. 9: Going Home

_**A/N: Happy Veterans Day to all the veterans out there!**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 9 – Going Home**

The next few days were very busy for Lucy. She and Professor McGonagall continued to round up any Muggleborn students that they could persuade. By the end of the week, they had visited every family on Professor McGonagall's list. They had managed to find fifteen Muggleborns that were willing to go with them, and they'd convinced many more families to flee the country.

The Longbottom household became very crowded with all the students there. There had also been no word from Remus or Tonks, meaning they were stuck at the Longbottoms' until further notice.

"I feel bad imposing on you and your gran for so long, Neville," Lucy confessed the night after she'd finished her mission with Professor McGonagall. She was standing in the kitchen with Neville, Jeremy, and Sally-Anne.

"It's all right, Lucy," Neville repeated once more. "The Ministry is beginning to haul off Muggleborns left and right, but we can't let them do that to children."

Suddenly, a bright ball of light flew into the room. The Patronus stopped in front of Lucy, and then it took the shape of a wolf. Tonks's voice came out of it. "_We are ready_," the voice said. "_Apparate into the woods on the west side of the house. Remus will be waiting for you there_."

"They're safe!" Lucy gasped in relief as the Patronus faded. "We can go home now!"

"How are we going to get all of these Muggleborns to your house without being spotted?" Neville asked doubtfully.

"I'll go and meet Remus right now," Lucy replied. "That way I can tell him the plan, so he and Tonks will be prepared. Then Sally-Anne, Jeremy, and I will Apparate each of the Muggleborns one-by-one. I know Justin and Roger could technically Apparate, as well, but they don't know where we're going. We can still Apparate from inside the house, right?"

"I'm not sure," Neville replied. "Let me go and find Gran." He turned and hurried from the room.

"This is going to be awfully risky," Sally-Anne pointed out.

"Not necessarily," Lucy replied, pulling her wand out. Then she tapped herself on the head and muttered a Disillusionment Charm. A cold feeling trickled down her neck and her back. She heard Jeremy and Sally-Anne gasp in surprise.

"A spell that makes you invisible?" Sally-Anne asked in fascination.

"It's more like a camouflage," Lucy replied. "If I move around very quickly, you'd be able to see something. But it'll be good enough under the cover of darkness." She waved her wand again, removing the charm and becoming visible once more. "It'll have to do," she finished.

Neville reentered the room, leading his gran with him.

"Good evening, Miss Jones," Mrs. Longbottom greeted. "I hear that Remus and Nymphadora are waiting to meet with you."

"Yes," Lucy replied with a nod. "We can still Apparate from inside the house, correct?"

"That's right," Mrs. Longbottom said, "but you are going to take necessary precautions, in case this is some kind of trap, aren't you?"

Lucy blanched. "I didn't even think about that," she confessed. "Is it possible to imitate a Patronus?"

"Not that I know of," Mrs. Longbottom said. "There's always the possibility that Remus or Nymphadora were captured and tortured into sending for you."

Lucy thought for a moment. "I'm still going," she decided. Jeremy, Sally-Anne, and Neville began to protest, but Lucy held her hand up to silence them. "I have to check, don't I? I'll just put the Disillusionment Charm back on, Apparate into the woods, and figure out what's happening."

"I'm going with you," Jeremy said immediately. "There is no way that you're going to go anywhere by yourself."

"I can take care of myself," Lucy replied irritably.

"I'm not saying you can't," Jeremy retorted. He and Lucy stared at each other for a moment before Lucy gave in.

"All right, fine," she sighed. "But if anything happens, and you have the chance to save yourself, do it. The Muggleborns need _all_ our help, not just me."

Jeremy pursed his lips but nodded.

Lucy turned her attention back to the others and said, "We'll leave right now and scope out the situation. If we're not back in—" She paused to look at the watch on her wrist; it had been a birthday gift from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. "—ten minutes, something bad has happened."

Sally-Anne, Neville, and Mrs. Longbottom all murmured their understanding, and Jeremy took Lucy's hand.

"We'll see you in a bit," Lucy promised before letting Jeremy lead her from the room.

They went out into the foyer, and then Lucy pulled out her wand. Keeping Jeremy's hand in hers, she tapped his head first, muttering the words for the Disillusionment Charm, and then she performed the spell on herself.

"Are you ready?" Lucy asked.

"This is _wild_," Jeremy's voice replied. "I can see through myself."

Lucy snickered. "I'll take that as a yes," she said. Then she turned on her heel, and, with a _crack_, they Disapparated.

**~LJ:TW~**

Seconds later, they reappeared in a dark, wooded area.

"Who's there?" a voice asked. It was Remus, and he sounded both worried and exhausted.

"_Homenum Revelio_," Lucy muttered as quietly as she could. The spell revealed that there was only one person present in the woods with them, meaning that there were no Death Eaters around. Then she removed her Disillusionment Charm.

"Lucy!" Jeremy hissed, but Lucy shushed him.

"Remus?" she called. She heard rustling in the undergrowth nearby.

Remus burst into view, and he looked as tired as he had sounded. "Lucy!" he gasped. "Are you alone?"

"No, Jeremy's with me," Lucy replied. "He has a Disillusionment Charm on him right now. We weren't sure whether this was a trap or not, so we took precautions. Speaking of—" She raised her wand and pointed it at Remus. "Just to be safe," she added, "what is Remus Lupin's favorite non-chocolate candy?"

"Licorice wands," Remus answered immediately.

Lucy lowered her wand. "I'm sorry for all this," she said, "but we're just trying to stay safe. We're ready to come home, though. The only thing is—well, we've gathered a few Muggleborns that need protecting. Can we bring them all here?"

"You've _what_?" Remus asked, looking alarmed.

"I don't know if you've seen the _Prophet_ lately, but the Ministry isn't allowing Muggleborns to go back to school," Lucy said. "They're being gathered up by the dozens and taken away, probably to Azkaban. Professor McGonagall and I talked to as many Muggleborns and their families as we could find. I couldn't let the Ministry take all those children off to Azkaban."

"How many are there?" Remus asked.

"Fifteen," Lucy answered.

"Fifteen?" Remus repeated faintly. "You expect us to house _fifteen_ more people in this tiny cabin?"

"Tonks said that you were the best she knew at construction spells!" Lucy exclaimed. "We just need one big room; we can put up curtains to separate the beds. Oh, and two bathrooms."

"Oh, yes, because adding a few rooms is so easy," Remus said sarcastically.

Lucy shrugged. "It's the best we can do with short notice," she said. "Besides, we won't be here for too long—when we get back to Hogwarts—"

"_Hogwarts_?" Remus yelped. "You can't seriously be thinking about going back to Hogwarts now that the Ministry has been overthrown!"

"Lucy, we need to get back to the Longbottoms' before they think something bad happened to us," Jeremy's voice spoke up.

Lucy nodded. "We'll be back with the Muggleborns, Remus," she said. "I'll tell you everything when we get everyone home safely. You'll have to write down the address, too, since you're the Secret Keeper. Then the Muggleborns will be able to get into the house."

"I—yes, of course," Remus said. He sighed and added, "I'm glad that you're safe."

"I'm glad that you and Tonks are safe, too," Lucy shot back. "We'll be back with the first Muggleborns very soon. I'll send the luggage ahead." She turned back to Jeremy and added, "Can you take my hand, please? I still can't see you." She felt Jeremy comply, and then she turned on her heel once again.

**~LJ:TW~**

"Ten minutes on the dot," Sally-Anne said as Lucy and Jeremy reappeared in the Longbottoms' house. "Is Jeremy with you?"

"Yes," Lucy replied. She pulled her wand out and removed the Disillusionment Charm from Jeremy. "Everything is ready—well, mostly ready for them. We just need to make sure that they're packed, and we can start sending their trunks to the house. Have you told them the news yet?"

"Yeah, we let them know what was happening," Sally-Anne answered. "We even told them to get packed up, just in case. They're in the dining room, waiting for you."

Lucy, Jeremy, and Sally-Anne went to the dining room and found all fifteen Muggleborns sitting around the large table.

"Are you all ready to leave?" Lucy asked, and the Muggleborns nodded. "All right," Lucy began. "I'm going to be sending your trunks to the house we'll be staying at for a while. Then we'll be Apparating there. We'll have to go three at a time, one each with me, Jeremy, and Sally-Anne."

"I can Apparate, as well," Roger Malone, a seventh-year Hufflepuff, volunteered.

"Well, unfortunately, you don't know where we're going," Lucy said gently. "It'll be easier this way, trust me. I know a lot of you had never Apparated before Professor McGonagall and I came to get you, and I know most of you didn't enjoy the experience, but there really is no other way to move all of you."

For the next few minutes, Lucy sent everyone's trunks to the cabin. Then she gathered everyone together in the foyer.

"I'll be placing a Disillusionment Charm on each of you," Lucy said. "It'll make you invisible, just for an extra precaution. We'll go youngest first, if everyone's okay with that."

There were general murmurs of agreement.

"All right, then: Al, Euan, and Danny, you three will go first," Lucy instructed.

The three young boys stepped forward and paired off with Lucy, Jeremy, and Sally-Anne. Lucy quickly cast a Disillusionment Charm over the six of them. There were gasps of surprise from the other students as Lucy cast the charm.

"We'll be back for the next group soon!" Lucy assured them, even though they couldn't see her. "Hold on tight, Al." Making sure that Al was grabbing her arm, she spun on the spot.

When they reached the woods once more, she heard retching coming from next to her. "You all right?" she asked.

The young boy was still holding onto her arm for support. "I thought I wasn't going to be able to breathe again," Al said.

"Just take a few deep breaths," Lucy told him. "It takes a while to get used to Apparition."

She could hear the similar moans coming from Euan and Danny, meaning that Jeremy and Sally-Anne had arrived right behind them. Then she looked around and saw a figure standing a few yards away at the edge of the wood.

"Remus?" Lucy called, walking towards the person.

Remus turned around, a piece of paper in his hands. Lucy lifted the Disillusionment Charm over herself and Al. Then she removed it from Euan and Danny, after having them take her hand so she could do so.

"Dora and I just finished bringing the trunks into the house," Remus informed them.

Lucy nodded before turning back to the boys. "Read the address on this piece of paper, and then think hard about what you just read," Lucy instructed, taking the parchment from Remus and holding it in front of the boys.

They read the words on the page, and after a few seconds, they gasped.

"There's a house!" Euan cried.

"Go on inside," Remus instructed. "My wife Dora has some food for you all."

Al, Euan, and Danny walked hesitantly up to the house and disappeared through the front door.

"We'll go get the next batch," Lucy said.

**~LJ:TW~**

It took Lucy, Jeremy, and Sally-Anne four more trips to relocate all the Muggleborns. When they returned to the Longbottoms' house for the last three students, they made sure to thank Neville and his grandmother for letting them stay for so long.

"It was nothing, really," Mrs. Longbottom said with a wave of her hand. "Just do your best to keep those children safe."

"Yes, ma'am," Lucy said. Then she turned to Neville and said, "I want you to take this." She pulled out one of the pocket watches that she'd received from Dumbledore's will. "This pocket watch can be used to send me messages," she explained. "It will only open for you. I have another one that is identical to this one. Write your message on a bit of parchment, fold it up, and place it inside your watch. Then turn the dial until it clicks three times. It'll be transported to my watch. This way we can try and figure out how to move the Muggleborns into Hogwarts."

Neville nodded. "Stay safe," he said, and Lucy gave him a brief hug.

"See you at Hogwarts, Neville," Sally-Anne added with a smile, and Jeremy gave him a nod.

Then, after the Disillusionment Charms had been cast, Lucy, Sally-Anne, and Jeremy Disapparated one last time, taking the last three Muggleborns with them.

**~LJ:TW~**

"This is the last of them, right?" Remus asked as Justin, Roger, and Colin entered the house.

"Yes," Lucy replied, lifting Jeremy's and Sally-Anne's Disillusionment Charms. "Let's go inside; you can get us up to speed."

The kitchen in the house was packed with the Muggleborn students.

"Lucy!" Tonks exclaimed, pushing through the crowd.

Lucy accepted Tonks's hug, feeling relieved that the older witch was safe.

"We're so glad you're all right," Tonks added as she pulled away.

"I'm glad you two are all right, too," Lucy said. "Let's get the Muggleborns situated, and then we can talk about what's been happening since the wedding."

"Remus is working on adding the new addition to the house as we speak," Tonks said. "Have something to eat while you wait, okay?"

Lucy complied, following Jeremy and Sally-Anne to the kitchen table.

**~LJ:TW~**

It was nearly half an hour before Remus came back to the kitchen to report that he'd finished adding the new wing of the house.

"It's one large room separated into two sections by the bathrooms," Remus explained to Lucy. "The boys' side is a little bit larger, only because there are twice as many of them. We can show them to their beds now, if you want."

"Sure," Lucy said. "Hey, everyone," she called over their heads. They all quieted, and Lucy went on, "We have your living arrangement set up now. Come on; we'll show you where you'll be."

Remus led the way towards Lucy's, Jeremy's, and Sally-Anne's rooms. Instead of ending, the hallway continued into the big new room. In the first section were ten beds, each with curtains hanging around them for added privacy. Then there was a comfortable looking lounge with two bathrooms on either side: one for the boys and one for the girls. On the other side was a smaller section with five beds, also with curtains for privacy.

"I know this isn't as nice as your own homes, but I hope it'll be all right for the time being," Lucy said as the Muggleborns looked around their new space. "You can pick which bed you want; all your trunks are in the middle of the room there. The boys will be in this first section, and the girls in the far section. The bathrooms are in the middle there; boys on the left, girls on the right."

"So are we just going to hide out here until You-Know-Who is destroyed?" Colin Creevey asked.

"We may have a plan to relocate in the future," Lucy replied. "It isn't fully set in stone yet, since it involves moving us all back into Hogwarts—"

"_Hogwarts_?" Justin interrupted. "How are we going to get back to Hogwarts if the Ministry won't let us in the front doors?"

"That's why the plan isn't fully formed yet," Lucy answered. "Jeremy, Sally-Anne, and Neville are going to try and work something out when they get back to school." She looked around at the students standing before her and asked, "Do any of you need anything else?"

There were murmurs and head shaking.

"Good," Lucy said in a low voice to Jeremy and Sally-Anne, who were standing next to her. "We have to talk to Remus and Tonks about what's been going on since the wedding. Come on."

**~LJ:TW~**

It took a little while longer before Lucy was sitting around the kitchen table with Jeremy, Sally-Anne, Tonks, and Remus.

"It seems you've been… busy," Remus started the conversation.

"You could say that," Lucy said. "After that article came out in the _Daily Prophet_ about the Muggleborn Registration Committee, and then we received those letters from Hogwarts about getting our Blood Statuses, I knew that the Muggleborns would be in danger. I just felt like I had to do something. But never mind about that for now; what's been happening since the wedding?"

Remus looked at Tonks, but she refused to look back at him. Instead, she rose from the table and said, "I'm going to bed." Then she stalked from the room.

"Okay…" Sally-Anne said slowly, staring after the witch.

"What the hell was that?" Lucy demanded.

"Er—Dora is—_we_ are having a baby," Remus announced quietly.

"What?" Lucy gasped excitedly. "Remus—that's wonderful!"

"Yes, well, I wasn't so sure at first," Remus said.

"What do you mean?" Sally-Anne asked.

"I could be passing my condition on to that poor, helpless child," Remus explained. "When I thought about that, I was terrified. I—I overreacted—that much is clear. It was a spiral of bad thoughts: how I should have never made a child, how I never should have even married Dora.… I ran. I fled to Grimmauld Place and sought out Harry—"

"Harry's at Grimmauld Place?" Lucy interrupted. "He's alive? And Ron and Hermione?"

"Yes, he's alive," Remus assured her. "Hermione and Ron are well and with him. But I had decided to ask them if they needed another person to come with them, and Harry thoroughly put me in my place—said the only fourth person they would accept was you, and that I was being a coward. I was angry at first, but then I realized that he only said the things he did to send me back to where I belonged.

"I went back to Dora—who was with her parents—and begged her to give me another chance. She knew that I had been having doubts, and like the coward I am, I ran instead of talking to her. I thought she was going to tell me to leave and never come back, but she didn't. We're obviously still working things out, and I have a lot to make up for—but that's why it took us so long to get back to you."

"I—wow," Lucy breathed.

There was a beat of silence before Jeremy stepped in with, "How are the others? The Weasleys and the rest of the Order?"

"Everyone is all right," Remus reported. "No deaths, but the new Ministry is definitely keeping an eye on all known Order members. Most of them are being followed. And the Ministry are starting to round up Muggleborns all over the country; they're being brought in for questioning before going to Azkaban."

"It's disgusting," Sally-Anne commented, shaking her head.

"What's the Order going to do now?" Lucy asked.

Remus looked troubled for a moment. "I don't know," he said. "Mad-Eye really was our leader after Dumbledore died.… Without someone stepping up to fill the gap, I'm not sure if the Order is going to continue for much longer. And we're trying to fight a rebellion against a Ministry which has been quietly overthrown. As far as we can tell, while a majority of the Wizarding world is disturbed by the recent changes, most of them are too scared to do anything about it."

Lucy started, "Isn't anyone asking why Vol—?"

"Don't!" Remus exclaimed roughly.

Lucy was taken aback; of all people, she was confused why _Remus_ wasn't letting her say Voldemort's name out loud.

"His name has been jinxed," Remus explained. "A Taboo Curse was placed on it. Whenever his name is uttered, the Death Eaters are alerted and will come calling. They won't be able to get in here, because of the Fidelius Charm, of course, but they'll have a general idea of where our cabin is."

"How do you know?" Sally-Anne asked.

"We found out the hard way," Remus answered. "Kingsley used the name and was cornered by a bunch of Death Eaters. He was able to fight his way out of it, but now he's out of a job and on the run."

Lucy was stunned for a moment by this information. "Well, shit," she muttered. "I wonder if Harry knows. Can we warn him?"

Remus shook his head, saying, "It wouldn't be safe to go to Grimmauld Place now. There are Death Eaters on guard in the area, so you'd have to Apparate directly on the front step. It's not worth the risk. At least the Death Eaters can't get in because of the Fidelius Charm."

"Why wouldn't Snape have told them the address, so they can go in and get him?" Lucy questioned.

"I don't know," Remus admitted, "but I'm not going to complain. The three of them are safe for now, and that's what's important."

"That's true," Lucy said. She sighed and added, "I'm tired. It's been a long couple of weeks."

"We should all get some rest," Remus agreed. "We have a lot of work to do in the coming months."

**~LJ:TW~**

Before Lucy went to bed, however, she decided to check on the Muggleborns. She found them all sitting around in their giant room, either talking or playing games. They all looked up as she entered.

"I just want to make sure that you all know not to say You-Know-Who's real name," Lucy told them. "Apparently it's now Taboo—meaning it's been jinxed to alert the Death Eaters if someone says it aloud. They wouldn't be able to get into the house, but they'd have a good idea of where we are.

"Also, Harry is still alive and in hiding. He, Ron, and Hermione are on a secret mission from Dumbledore, and hopefully—if they're successful—it will be helpful in ending this war," she informed them. "Anyway, I'm heading to bed. Feel free to do the same, but please do _not_ leave the house, okay?"

"Good night, Lucy," Colin spoke up from the middle of the group.

Lucy smiled at him and returned, "Good night."

Then Lucy joined Jeremy in their bedroom. He was already settling into bed, and he patted the covers on her side, gesturing at her to come join him. She stripped down to her underwear and gladly dove under the blankets.

"I feel like I could sleep for a week," she said, curling up into Jeremy's side.

He pulled her in close. "You've been through a lot since the wedding. You deserve to get some good rest."

"Don't get me wrong—I'm very grateful to Neville and his grandmother for letting us stay at their house," Lucy said, "but I did _not_ get good enough sleep there. I think it was because you weren't in the bed beside me."

Jeremy pressed his lips against Lucy's forehead. "Don't worry, darling. I'm here now."

"Hmm," Lucy hummed contentedly. "Good night. I love you."

"I love you, too," Jeremy replied.

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: They're back at the cabin in the woods!**_

_**And Tonks is pregnant! I think in the book that Tonks stayed with her parents for a lot longer than I had her stay with them. I think it's when Ron rejoins Harry and Hermione that he tells them that Remus and Tonks are living together again, but I needed them both in the cabin. I would imagine that Remus is sleeping in the guest bedroom for the time being.**_


	11. 10: Left Behind

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 10 – Left Behind**

The rest of August slowly passed. It was a very uneventful and restless few weeks for Lucy, Jeremy, Sally-Anne, and the Muggleborns. None of them were allowed out of the house, with the exception of Jeremy and Sally-Anne when they had to go to the Ministry to get their Blood Statuses. Tonks accompanied both of them, since she still had her job at the Ministry, at least until her pregnancy started showing.

There was a lot of tension in the house whenever Tonks and Remus were home together. Remus was still attempting to make up for almost abandoning her when he'd found out she was pregnant. However, he was still concerned that he had passed along his lycanthropy to his unborn child.

About a week after they'd returned to the cabin, an article was written in _The Daily Prophet_ with a list of all the students who hadn't gone to get their Blood Statuses from the Ministry. It had greatly disturbed many of the Muggleborns who were there in hiding, since all their names had been on the list. Lucy and the others spent the few days after the article was published reassuring them that they wouldn't be found.

There was still no news on Harry, Ron, and Hermione, neither from the Order nor from the Ministry. Lucy chose to assume that no news was good news, and that her friends were still very much alive and hiding at Grimmauld Place. She was very tempted to go and see them, but both Remus and Tonks put their foot down.

"You don't understand what it's like out there," Tonks explained to her one day. "They're still trying to round up all the Muggleborns, and there are groups of people who have taken it upon themselves to hunt them down. They're calling themselves Snatchers, and we—the Auror office—are supposed to be working with them." There was a sour look on her face as she told Lucy all of this.

"Snatchers?" Lucy repeated. "Are they getting paid or something?"

"Probably," Tonks said, and then she scoffed. "Evil, rotten cowards. They're allowed to use any means necessary to bring people in for questioning."

"_Any means necessary_?" Lucy yelped. "You mean—you mean they can be using illegal curses and stuff like that?"

Tonks nodded, sighing heavily. "I haven't told anyone here yet," she said in a quiet voice, "but my father refused to register with the Muggleborn Registration Committee. He went on the run a few days ago to keep my mother safe—or so she says."

"Tonks," Lucy said softly, horrified. "I'm so sorry."

"I tried to convince him to come and hide here," Tonks went on, "but he wouldn't, obviously. Said he didn't want to put any of us in danger."

"What about your mother?" Lucy asked.

"Well, she's a pureblood, so she's okay," Tonks answered. "She's asked if I want her to come stay with us closer to when the baby's due."

"Are you going to take her up on that?" Lucy questioned. "We might be out of your hair by then."

"I might," Tonks answered. "It's going to depend on how things are with Remus at that point.…" She grimaced.

"Do you need me to kick his ass?" Lucy offered, chuckling. She knew that Tonks would never need her help to set her husband straight, but she thought it would be nice to offer anyway.

"I just—I don't know what he's so worried about," Tonks said. "As far as anyone is aware, werewolves are only created by receiving a bite from another werewolf. It's not something that gets passed from parent to child. It's passed by a werewolf's saliva—while they're in their wolf form—into the bloodstream. But no matter how many times I try to explain this to Remus, he just shakes his head at me like _I'm_ a child." She stopped her rant, breathing a little heavier than normal.

"In his defense, there isn't any documented proof that lycanthropy doesn't pass from parent to child, is there?" Lucy pointed out.

"Well, no," Tonks agreed grudgingly, "but this is still _our_ child we're talking about. Instead of bemoaning something that may or may not happen, why can't he just be _happy_?"

Lucy took Tonks's hand and squeezed it. "He's scared," she said simply. "He's scared that his kid will have to grow up like he did—in hiding and unable to interact with other people. And he's terrified that he'll lose the two best things in his life—you and your child."

Tonks flushed slightly at that statement. "I—I guess I never really thought of it that way before," she admitted. She gave Lucy a small smile and added, "You're pretty wise for your years, you know."

"It's been known to happen," Lucy said with a sly grin and a shrug.

**~LJ:TW~**

"Holy _shit_."

Lucy looked up, startled. She _never_ heard such words come out of Remus's mouth. He was staring at the morning copy of the_ Daily Prophet_.

"What's up?" Jeremy prompted for them.

"It's—well…" Remus trailed off, looking unsure of how to explain what he'd just read.

"Don't make me rip that paper out of your hands," Lucy threatened.

She, Jeremy, and Sally-Anne were sitting around the kitchen table with Remus. Tonks had gone out to run an errand, still in the process of forgiving Remus and therefore not spending a lot of time around him. The Muggleborns were all in their space; most of them were probably still asleep.

Instead of explaining what was in the paper, Remus simply laid it out on the table so that the other three could read the headline.

_**Severus Snape Confirmed as Hogwarts Headmaster**_

"_WHAT_?" Sally-Anne shrieked.

Lucy shushed her. She didn't want to explain to the Muggleborns what had happened until she had all the details. Lucy scanned the article to see what else the paper had to say.

_Severus Snape, long-standing Potions master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was today appointed headmaster in the most important of several staffing changes at the ancient school. Following the resignation of the previous Muggle Studies teacher, Alecto Carrow will take over the post, while her brother, Amycus, fills the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts_.

"Who are these Carrows?" Lucy asked.

"Death Eaters," Jeremy answered before Remus could. "Friends of my dad's, too. Brother and sister who have a particularly nasty thirst for blood."

"They were there the night Dumbledore was killed," Remus added quietly.

"That's another thing!" Lucy gasped. "This very paper was publishing articles about how the Ministry were looking for Snape in connection to Dumbledore's death just a couple months ago!"

"Yes, well, now they're looking for _Harry_ to question about Dumbledore's death," Remus pointed out. He looked at his watch and sighed. "Dora should be back any minute. Are you two packed?"

It was September first, which meant that Jeremy and Sally-Anne were going to be getting on the Hogwarts Express to go back to school. Lucy had been dreading this day for the last few weeks, because she wasn't ready to say good-bye to them; she wanted nothing more than to go back to school, too.

"I am," Sally-Anne confirmed.

"Me, too," Jeremy said.

The front door opened, and Tonks appeared, looking disheveled.

"Everything all right?" Remus asked, immediately standing and moving towards her.

Tonks easily slipped around him, but she said, "There are quite a few Death Eaters lurking around King's Cross. I'm sure they're looking for people without Blood Statuses to bring into the Ministry."

Lucy took it as a good sign that Tonks was answering Remus. Only just in the past week had she started replying to him with full sentences. Lucy was glad that Tonks seemed to be thawing, but she couldn't imagine the hurt the woman felt when her husband had tried to deny both her and their child.

"Will you be all right to take them to the train?" Remus questioned, sounding anxious. "I could do it if you need me to—"

"Don't be ridiculous," Tonks replied with a shake of her head. "Of course I can take them to the train. They have their Blood Statuses, and I'm still part of the Auror Office for the time being." Then she marched across the house and went into her bedroom, shutting the door behind her with a _snap_.

Remus sighed, running a hand through his graying hair.

"She's warming up," Lucy encouraged. "Don't lose hope yet."

"I know," Remus murmured.

Jeremy stood up and held out his hand to Lucy. He tugged her out of her seat, and they left Remus to wallow by himself.

In their bedroom, Lucy sat on the bed as Jeremy finished checking over his trunk. Lucy wilted as she thought about him leaving.

Jeremy turned to her and saw the look on her face. He sat down on the bed next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. "Everything's going to be all right," he said quietly before pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

Lucy heaved a sigh and whispered, "You don't know that. I know you have to leave—I _know_ that, but it's not going to stop me from wishing that you could stay here with me—or that I could go with you."

Jeremy took her chin and gently turned her head toward him. "You'll see us sooner than you think," he assured her. "When we get back to Hogwarts, Sally-Anne and I will work with Neville to see if we can get the Muggleborns into the Room of Requirement."

"Have Ginny and Luna help you," Lucy suggested resignedly. "Actually, I have something for you before you leave." She went to her trunk and started to rummage around in it. She hadn't bothered keeping it tidy, since she didn't know how long she'd be stuck in the house.

After a moment, she finally pulled out a thin case that was given to her by Dumbledore much earlier in the year. She opened it up and took out one of the two-way mirrors. "Here," she said, depositing it into Jeremy's lap. "This is—"

"A two-way mirror?" Jeremy guessed, picking up the mirror and looking at it closely. "You mentioned before that Dumbledore had given you a pair. How do they work?"

"Say my name at the mirror," Lucy instructed.

"Lucy," Jeremy stated, looking down at the mirror.

Lucy looked down at the mirror still in the case, which was shimmering. Then, a moment later, Jeremy's face appeared in it.

"Hi, Lucy," Jeremy said with a cheeky grin.

Lucy giggled. "Hi, Jeremy." She took her wand out and added, "When you're finished, you just tap the glass and say—" She touched the glass with the tip of her wand. "—_Finite_!"

"That's pretty cool," Jeremy said. "And you're sure you want me to have this one?"

"Of course I'm sure," Lucy said. "You'll just have to be extremely careful when and where you use it.… And I suppose, to be on the extra cautious side, _you_ should be the one who calls _me_."

"I guess that's a good plan," Jeremy said. He stood up and went over to his trunk. He pulled out a spare shirt and wrapped it around the mirror before gently tucking it inside his luggage.

"I'm going to miss you," Lucy said.

"I'll miss you, too, sweetheart," Jeremy crooned, walking over to her and taking her face in his hands again. "I love you."

Lucy couldn't help the small smile that formed on her lips. "I love you, too." She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him softly.

As she started to pull away, Jeremy tugged her face back to his to continue their kiss. Their mouths moved together for a few moments until Lucy was quietly gasping for breath.

There was a knock on the bedroom door that startled them a few inches apart.

"Come on, Jeremy," Tonks called through the door. "We have to get going, so that you and Sally-Anne will make it to the train on time."

Jeremy untangled himself from Lucy's arms and picked up his wand. He levitated his trunk ahead of him, and Lucy opened the door so that he could leave the room. She followed him to the front door, where Sally-Anne and Remus were waiting. A few of the Muggleborns had trickled out into the sitting room, as well.

Sally-Anne bounded forward and threw her arms around Lucy. "Thank you for everything," she breathed. "I can't even begin to express how grateful I am."

Lucy squeezed her friend back before pulling away. "Look after each other and the other students this year," she said. "Especially the younger ones. I have a bad feeling about the fact that there are actual Death Eaters teaching classes."

"We will," Sally-Anne promised. "And we'll start making a plan with Neville to get you there."

"Like I told Jeremy, have Ginny and Luna help you, too," Lucy said. "Anyone from the D.A. could help you, really. Well, except maybe Zacharias Smith." Lucy, Sally-Anne, and Jeremy chuckled at that.

"We really should go," Tonks said, checking her watch. "I should be back soon." Then, surprising them all, she leaned over and pecked a kiss on Remus's cheek. However, she didn't say anything to him; she simply turned to the front door and opened it.

"Good-bye, Lucy!" Sally-Anne said. "We'll be in contact."

"'Bye, Sally-Anne," Lucy replied sadly. Then she turned to Jeremy and hugged him tightly. "_Please_ be safe," she murmured. "Be very careful around those Death Eaters."

"I will," Jeremy said. He pulled away from her, kissed her hard on the forehead, and then gave her a cheeky half-grin.

Then they were out the door.

Lucy felt tears pricking in the corners of her eyes. She wiped them away impatiently. She didn't have time to be crying; she had to be strong to take care of the Muggleborns currently in her house.

"Are you all right, Lucy?" Remus asked.

"I will be," Lucy replied. "I've just been with them all summer, and now they're on their way back to Hogwarts—_without_ me." She chuckled and added, "I never thought I'd see the day when I wanted so desperately to go to school." Remus cracked a smile at that, as well, and Lucy decided, "I think I'm just going to lay down for a little while. I haven't been sleeping well all summer—nightmares, you know."

"Nightmares?" Remus repeated. "What about?"

"Oh, just Vol—I mean, You-Know-Who catching and killing Harry," Lucy said. "Or any of us. Either way, I'm just going to take a rest."

Remus nodded, and Lucy retreated to her bedroom. She sunk down onto her bed, curling up onto one side, and she decided to let herself cry for just a few minutes. After she shed some tears, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

**~LJ:TW~**

That evening was very subdued. The Muggleborns were eating in their own area, as usual, leaving Lucy alone with Tonks and Remus. The two adults could tell how distraught Lucy was feeling, so they ate their dinner in silence.

It was the first time that summer at her own house that Lucy had to go to bed alone. Before she changed into her pajamas, she pulled out the two-way mirror and her pocket watch and set them on her bedside table. Then, for good measure, she pulled out her old D.A. coin and placed it next to them.

She was about to take her shirt off when she heard her name being called. She whipped around to see Jeremy's face smiling at her through the two-way mirror. "Jeremy!" she gasped. "You're safe, thank Merlin—where are you?"

"It's not just me," he said. He lifted the mirror and panned around him.

Lucy's jaw dropped as she took in the faces of those standing around him. Sally-Anne, Neville, Ginny, and Luna were waving at her, but they weren't the only ones. Jeremy's friends Daphne Greengrass—a seventh-year Slytherin—Jake Fletcher—a seventh-year Ravenclaw—and Mary Poole—a sixth-year Slytherin—were there, as well. Then Lucy saw a group of Hufflepuff seventh-years: Hannah Abbot, Susan Bones, Alfie Doyle, Ernie Macmillan, and Oliver Rivers. Beyond them were a few more seventh-year Ravenclaws—Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein, and Padma Patil—and nearly all the remaining seventh-year Gryffindors—Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, and Seamus Finnigan.

"What are you all doing—and where _are_ you?" Lucy demanded.

"We've called an emergency D.A. meeting," Sally-Anne explained. "And we're in the Room of Requirement, of course. We need to start testing it right away, to see if we can get all of you back here."

"Lucy!" Susan Bones called. Jeremy shifted the mirror so that Susan was centered in the picture, and she asked, "Is Justin with you? Can we see him?"

"Oh—of course!" Lucy said. "Let me go see if he's awake."

Taking the mirror with her, she left her bedroom and entered the Muggleborns' area. "Justin?" she called.

"Hi, Lucy," Justin said, standing up and walking over to her. "What's up?"

"Someone wants to say hi to you," Lucy said, holding the mirror out in front of him.

Justin's jaw dropped open as a chorus of greetings came through the mirror. "That's—that's—Susan! Hannah! Ernie! How—? What—?"

The rest of the Muggleborns were crowding around eagerly, interested to see what was happening.

"This is called a two-way mirror," Lucy explained to them. "Dumbledore gave me a pair of them last year, and I gave Jeremy one to take to Hogwarts with him. They're having an emergency D.A. meeting in the Room of Requirement."

"What's a D.A. meeting?" Emmett Phelps, one of the Muggleborn fourth-years, asked.

"I'll explain it to you later," Lucy said. "Right now, they're trying to work on a strategy to get us back safely to Hogwarts. The room that they're in—the Room of Requirement—might make that possible." Her eyes swept over the people in the two-way mirror before frowning and asking, "Where's Dean?" Dean Thomas was her fellow seventh-year Gryffindor, and she found it hard to believe that he wouldn't have been at the meeting when Seamus, Lavender, and Parvati were all there.

"He didn't show up," Seamus spoke up, sounding upset. "He's always said that he doesn't know whether he's a Muggleborn or not, because his dad left before he was born. He nor his mum know if his dad was a wizard."

Lucy gazed at him sympathetically for a moment before asking, "So, what were the train ride and the feast like?"

"The train was actually stopped by Death Eaters," Parvati reported. "Apparently, it wasn't good enough that there were Death Eaters stationed at King's Cross. We were about halfway there when the train was stopped and searched. They were mainly looking for Harry."

"The feast was pretty much business as usual," Daphne continued. "The only thing different was that they had to sort not only the first-years, but all the students who had been home-schooled up to that point. It was odd; there was a whole group of students of various ages who had to get sorted."

"Snape didn't say much of anything," Jeremy went on. "He just mentioned that Defense Against the Dark Arts is being shortened into just Dark Arts, and Muggle Studies is now mandatory for everyone—even the N.E.W.T. students. He introduced the Carrows, who have also been put in charge of punishment on top of their teaching duties. I think even Filch was a bit scared of them."

"And the rest of the teachers?" Lucy prompted. "They're all there?"

"Yes," Neville confirmed. "I think the only reason they're staying is to protect the students from Snape and the Carrows. It's what Dumbledore would have wanted."

"Curfew has been changed to nine o'clock for everyone now, too," Ginny spoke up. "And they've cancelled the Inter-House Quidditch matches and Hogsmeade visits this year."

"Wow," Lucy breathed. "They're really keeping you on lock-down this year, huh?" She shook her head. "The sooner we can take down this new government, the better." Then she glanced at her watch and said, "If curfew is at nine, you all better get out of there soon. You should keep out of trouble as much as possible."

"Where's the fun in that?" Daphne joked, and some of the others around her chuckled.

"Normally, I would agree with you," Lucy said, "but from what Jeremy has said about these Carrows, if they've been given free reign over the punishment, there's no telling what they'll do to you if you get in trouble."

"That's a good point," Jeremy conceded. "We'll definitely be testing our boundaries, but we should be extra cautious about it."

"Wait!" Lavender said. "Before you go—Lucy, have you heard anything about Harry, Ron, and Hermione?"

"Yes," Lucy said with a nod. "They're on a secret mission from Dumbledore that could help end this war. I can't tell you anything more about it, except that I'm sure that they're together and still alive."

"We'd better be going," Jeremy said. "Say goodnight, everyone."

Everyone in the Room of Requirement hollered their farewells, and the Muggleborns responded in kind. Lucy, giggling, carried the mirror back to her room. Jeremy's face remained on the screen until she was alone.

"I love you," he said softly.

"I love you, too," she answered. "Please, stay safe."

"Always," Jeremy said. Then, with a cheeky wink, his face vanished from the mirror.

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: I love the conversation Lucy has with Tonks at the beginning of this chapter.**_

_**The two-way mirrors are like Wizarding FaceTime haha.**_


	12. 11: Potterwatch

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 11 – Potterwatch**

"_Lucy_!" a voice yelled through Lucy's bedroom door, hammering on the wood.

Lucy sat up quickly, startled both at the urgent knocking and the fact that she was alone in her bed. A second later, she remembered that Jeremy had left for Hogwarts two days before. After another moment, she got up and answered her door.

Tonks was standing in the hallway, looking frazzled. She was holding the morning copy of the _Daily Prophet_. "You need to see this," she insisted, pushing the paper into Lucy's hands.

Lucy took it from her and shook it out. Right on the front page was the same picture of Harry from the month prior. She quickly scanned the accompanying article, breathing a sigh of relief when she was sure that they hadn't caught him. Instead, the article described the disturbance that had happened at the Ministry the day before, and there was strong speculation that Harry had been behind it.

"A whole group of Muggleborns, who were supposed to be questioned yesterday, managed to escape," Tonks explained when Lucy had finished reading. "It had appeared that a few Ministry workers helped them, but after questioning, they believe that Harry and some accomplices—using Polyjuice Potion—broke in to release them."

Lucy began, "How many—?"

"Three," Tonks answered before the girl could finish. "Harry, Ron, and Hermione, if I was a betting woman. Why do you think they broke into the Ministry? Surely not to rescue a batch of Muggleborns; I hate to say it, but it wouldn't be worth the risk for Harry.…"

"I have a hunch, but I've sworn not to tell anyone what they're up to," Lucy replied with a shrug. "The important thing is that, if this _was_ them, they got away."

There was a moment of silence while Lucy quickly looked through the rest of the paper. There was nothing else jumping out at her, and soon she was folding it up and handing it back to Tonks.

"There's some breakfast if you want any," Tonks added.

"I'll be right there," Lucy said. "I'm just going to change out of my pajamas first."

**~LJ:TW~**

September continued slowly for Lucy. Jeremy and the others at Hogwarts were still testing out their theories on the Room of Requirement, but it was proving hard to sneak around. There were more Death Eaters at Hogwarts than just the Carrows; they monitored the corridors, especially after curfew. Both Jeremy and Neville were keeping Lucy up to date on what was happening at the school via the two-way mirrors and Dumbledore's pocket watches.

Lucy was getting restless being stuck in the cabin. She wanted to get out; just a quick walk outside would be helpful. However, she didn't feel right leaving the cabin when none of the Muggleborns could leave—plus, Remus and Tonks both continued to tell her how unsafe it would be for her.

But two weeks after Jeremy and Sally-Anne had left, Lucy couldn't stand it anymore. Remus and Tonks were both out of the house, and Lucy took her opportunity. She put a Disillusionment Charm on herself before sneaking out of the house. She got passed the protective enchantments and then turned on her heel and Disapparated.

She reappeared in the middle of an empty sitting room. Lifting the Disillusionment Charm, she looked around in interest. She'd never been inside Fred's and George's loft above their joke shop.

"Hey!"

Lucy whirled around and found a wand pointed directly in her face. She raised her hands up, palms out in surrender, and said, "It's just me. It's Lucy."

George surveyed her over the top of his wand before asking, "What did my Great Auntie Muriel call me when I was little?"

Lucy smirked and replied, "Georgie."

After another moment, George lowered his wand. Lucy launched herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"What are you _doing_ here, Lu?" he asked after he'd finished embracing her. "We haven't seen you since the wedding.… We figured you were with Harry."

"Nope," Lucy replied. "I'm still with Remus and Tonks. Jeremy and Sally-Anne went back to Hogwarts, of course, and I was getting a bit of cabin fever being stuck in the house these past couple weeks."

"Well, you're just in time," George said. "Lee is on his way over, and we're going to be launching our new radio show tonight."

"Radio show?" Lucy repeated, intrigued. "What about?"

"Oh, you just wait," George said, rubbing his hands together. "Can you stay for a while, or do you need to get back?"

"Well, I didn't really tell anyone that I was going," Lucy admitted, biting her lip anxiously. "I suppose I better let them know if I'm going to stay for a while."

They were interrupted by Fred and Lee Jordan entering the loft. They both froze when they realized that George was not alone in the apartment.

"Lu!" Fred exclaimed.

Lucy hurried over to him and squeezed him tightly. Then she hugged Lee, as well. "It's so good to see you all," Lucy said. "I'm glad you're all safe still. How's the shop downstairs going?"

"Pretty well," Fred replied, "which is surprising, considering all that's going on. But we have to keep moving forward, if for no other reason than to not raise suspicion that we might be part of the Order."

"Now that you two _slowpokes_ have arrived," George cut in, "who wants some tea?"

"I'll take some," Lucy accepted immediately. "But I need to let Remus or Tonks know that I'm here.… No idea how I'm gonna do it, though."

"Patronus?" Lee suggested, following George into the kitchen. He opened one of their cabinet doors and pulled out a bottle of Firewhiskey.

"Yeah, I suppose," Lucy said. "If I go back home, they might try to barricade me in the house. But I've never sent a message with my Patronus before.… Any of you know how that works?"

Just then, they were interrupted by urgent knocking on the front door. All four occupants had their wands out in an instant. George hurried over and placed himself between the door and Lucy, while Fred went to see who was pounding on their door.

"Who's there?" Fred asked. "Declare yourself!"

"Remus Lupin," the person on the other side of the door answered. "I'm looking for Lucy Jones. And if she's in there, tell her she's in huge trouble!"

Fred looked over his shoulder at Lucy and George. Both of them nodded, and Fred opened the front door.

"Lucy!" Remus exclaimed, spotting her immediately. "I've been looking everywhere for you. You have no idea how panicked Dora and I were when we got home and you weren't there."

"Not so fast," Fred interrupted, keeping his wand pointed at Remus. "What's my middle name?"

Remus frowned. "Gideon," he answered.

"Named for?" Fred demanded.

"Your uncle Gideon Prewett," Remus said, a small smile gracing his face. "I knew him and Fabian from school.…" He trailed off, a look of nostalgia and sadness in his eyes.

Fred glanced over at George again, and both boys nodded before lowering their wands. Fred gestured for Remus to enter the apartment, and the wizard complied. The door was shut immediately after.

"I'm sorry," Lucy said, stepping out from behind George. "I told you, I needed to get out. If I had to be stuck in that house for much longer, I might have done something even more dangerous and stupid."

"Don't try to make me feel guilty," Remus said severely. "Look, you're a grown ass woman—I get that—and I'm obviously not your father, but Dora and I just want to protect you. It's dangerous out here."

"I know," Lucy said, "and again, I'm sorry. But I can take care of myself, and Fred and George can protect me, too—"

"They're being watched," Remus reminded her. "We're _all_ being watched. If the Death Eaters even get an _idea_ that you're here, they might come barging right in—and trust me, they won't care who else is here."

"Now who's trying to guilt whom?" Lucy accused, frowning. She _was_ starting to feel guilty, however; she hadn't even thought of the fact that Fred and George were being watched by Death Eaters.

"We would have protected her," George insisted.

"I don't doubt your abilities," Remus said impatiently, "but if the Death Eaters didn't kill you trying to get to her, they would capture you and torture her location out of you."

"They'd have to kill us first," Fred stated boldly.

Lucy's heart sunk. She didn't want anyone dying for her. "I would let the Death Eaters take me before I would let them kill you," she said softly.

_"Gryffindors,"_ Remus muttered. "Look, nobody's getting taken by the Death Eaters, because I'm taking Lucy _home,_ and the three of you will go about your business like nothing happened."

"Oh, Remus, please can we stay for a little while?" Lucy asked desperately. "The boys here mentioned something about a radio show—"

"Radio show?" Remus repeated, his brow furrowing.

"Yeah, you know, trying to keep the public up to date on what's actually happening," George explained. "Every radio show and the _Daily Prophet_ are against Harry and filled with propaganda for You-Know-Who's agenda. The only outlet that's publishing anything worthwhile is _The_ _Quibbler_, of all things, and we all know that most people don't take it seriously. We want to be able to tell everyone what's really going on."

"Do you have a death wish?" Remus hissed, looking horrified. "If you start broadcasting things like that, you will be hunted down immediately."

"We know," Lee finally spoke up. "We're going to broadcast from different locations every time to try and keep them off our trail."

"Plus, we're going to have a password," George added, moving back to the kitchen to resume making tea.

"Okay…" Remus said slowly. "And what are you going to call it?"

"_Potterwatch_," Fred answered simply. "Want to be on the show? We have to think up our code names and what the password is going to be for this broadcast."

"I call River," Lee said, sitting down at the table and pulling out his wand. He waved it, and a radio and a group of microphones appeared.

"I—I don't know about this," Remus said. "It seems dangerous—"

"Come on, Remus," Lucy begged. "I want to help do something. All this waiting around is starting to drive me crazy. Help me so that it feels like I'm doing something in this fight. _Please_."

That seemed to have struck a chord in Remus, because a pained look flashed across his face. "All right," he sighed. "All right, but I need to send Dora a message to let her know I've found you, and that we'll be home later."

Lucy threw her arms around him and squeezed tightly. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome," Remus grudgingly replied, hugging her back. "But if there's any sign of Death Eaters coming here to stop us, I'm Apparating us out immediately. Agreed?"

"Yes, Uncle Moony," Lucy said, stepping away from him.

**~LJ:TW~**

Within twenty minutes, a message had been sent to Tonks, and the five of them were sitting around Fred's and George's little table, with cups of tea in front of them. Lee was busy performing the magic that would allow them to broadcast over the radio and let listeners only tune in if they had the correct password.

"So, code names," George said. "We need to come up with some, obviously, so we don't use our real names over the air. As previously stated, Lee is going with River. And we've already got one for you, Lu: Rain."

"_Reign_ as in to rule over something, or _Rain_ as in water falling from the sky?" Lucy asked.

"The second one," George said. "'Cause what goes with lightning?"

"Thunder," Lucy deadpanned, and Fred howled in laughter.

"No, smart ass," George scolded. "Rain goes with lightning. And if lightning is Harry, then you're rain!"

"All right, all right," Lucy conceded. "That _is_ fairly clever. What about the rest of you?"

"Well, we had no idea that Remus would be joining us," Fred said. "Although you are welcome to be a regular correspondent, if you'd like, Remus."

"Romulus," Remus suggested. "The other name from the tale that my name was taken from."

"I want to go by Ringo," George put in.

"So what name am I going to use?" Fred asked.

"Rodent," Lee stated with a cackle.

"No!" Fred insisted. "No way. I'll go with… Rapier!"

"I like Rodent better," Lee said.

"Me, too," George teased, a wicked grin on his face.

"Oh, be nice," Lucy said. "If he wants to be Rapier, then let him be Rapier." She took a sip of her tea.

"Yeah, yeah," George said, winking.

Soon, Lee was finished fiddling with the radio, and then he asked, "Are we ready?"

"Ready as we'll ever be, captain!" Fred announced, giving his friend an exaggerated salute.

Lee rolled his eyes, cleared his throat, and began the show. "Hello listeners, and welcome to the very first broadcast of _Potterwatch_," he started. "I am your host River, and I'm joined today by four of our lovely correspondents: Romulus, Rain, Ringo, and Rodent."

"Rapier!" Fred insisted loudly, and the others all snickered.

"The purpose of this show is to provide the general public with _the truth_," Lee went on. "As we all know, there have been some alarming changes going on in the Ministry, and for those of you who don't know why, we're here to tell you all about it. You-Know-Who—or, as we like to call him, the Chief Death Eater—has taken over the Ministry."

Lucy was impressed with Lee's broadcasting skills. She supposed she shouldn't actually be surprised; Lee had been the Quidditch commentator at Hogwarts through Lucy's first five years.

"Now, part of the Death Eaters' strategy is to take the focus off them and You-Know-Who," Lee went on, "and they're doing that by trying to make the public believe that Harry Potter might have something to do with Dumbledore's death. For those of you who are unaware, Severus Snape is the man who killed Dumbledore. There is no question about it. Even the _Daily Prophet_ was reporting that the Ministry was looking for Snape in connection to Dumbledore's death—they've changed their tune quite quickly, haven't they?

"Speaking of Snape, we have an update for you about Hogwarts from our very own Rain," Lee introduced, turning to Lucy.

Lucy nervously leaned towards her microphone. "Thanks, River," she said. "Well, in case any of our listeners have been living under a rock, you should be aware by now that Severus Snape was named Headmaster of Hogwarts a few weeks ago, right before term started. So far, my sources have reported that the Inter-House Quidditch matches and Hogsmeade visits have been cancelled, all in an effort to keep the students in line. Muggle Studies has become a mandatory class, and Defense Against the Dark Arts has been changed to simply Dark Arts.

"But the most alarming change is the employment of Death Eaters. As it was reported in the _Daily Prophet_, Alecto Carrow is teaching Muggle Studies, and her brother Amycus is teaching Dark Arts. However, they're not the only Death Eaters at Hogwarts this year. A handful of them have been hired to help with security and—punishment."

"Concerning information, indeed," Lee said solemnly. "We here at _Potterwatch_ urge anyone at Hogwarts to keep their heads down and remain safe. Ringo, I've heard that there are Death Eaters stationed in Hogsmeade now, as well?"

"Yes, that's right," George reported. "Death Eaters and dementors are patrolling the village of Hogsmeade, just in case Harry Potter decides to show up; which does support that Harry is indeed alive and well, for those of you who were concerned."

"Which brings me to a segment I like to call Pals of Potter," Lee said. "Romulus, do _you_ believe that Harry Potter is still alive?"

"Yes, River, I firmly believe that Harry is still out there and fighting strong," Remus said. "As Ringo stated, the Death Eaters are actively looking out for him, but I know it in my heart that Harry is still alive. Hopefully, he is staying well away from the Death Eaters and Snatchers, who are surely hunting him down."

"Ah, yes, Snatchers," Lee said. "Rodent, what do you have to tell us about them?"

"_Rapier_!" Fred corrected. "Here is my number one tip for survival against the Snatchers: _stay away from them_. They've been given permission from the Ministry to use any means necessary to bring in certain people—mostly Muggleborns and anyone else on their wanted list—for questioning and/or sentencing. So, once again: _stay away from the Snatchers_. They're nearly as bad as the Death Eaters."

"Well, we should probably wrap up this first broadcast," Lee said. "But before we do that, we want to have a moment of silence for all of the casualties that have happened thus far under You-Know-Who's regime."

They all fell silent in respect for the deaths and disappearances that had happened in the last month.

"Thank you for tuning in to our first show," Lee said once the moment of silence was finished. "While we kept this episode very brief, we will hopefully continue to bring you information so that you can learn _the_ _truth_. The password for the next broadcast will be Wulfric. In the meantime, from all of us here at _Potterwatch_, keep the faith, and keep each other safe."

"'Bye!" Lucy, Remus, George, and Fred chimed in.

Lee waved his wand and then signaled to the others that it was safe to talk freely again.

"Not too shabby for the first show," Fred commented. "A bit short, but I'm assuming that they'll improve as more things happen."

"I mean… I think we'd all prefer if more things _didn't_ happen," Lucy said.

"Well, ideally, yes," Fred conceded with a shrug.

There was a moment of silence while they all finished their tea.

"Okay. C'mon, Lucy," Remus spoke up. "I need to get you home."

"All right, all right," Lucy agreed, although she felt a flurry of nerves build up in her stomach. She was scared that when they got home, Remus might really let her have it for leaving.

A few minutes later, after helping clean up their tea cups and after Lucy had gotten the list of the next few passwords for the show, Remus gripped Lucy's elbow, and they Apparated away.

**~LJ:TW~**

Remus didn't say one word as he and Lucy walked up to their house. He opened the door, and Lucy followed him tentatively into the front room.

"Welcome home." Tonks was standing in the middle of the room, her arms crossed over her chest. She looked tiredly between Remus and Lucy.

Lucy started, "Tonks—"

"You don't have anything to apologize for," Tonks interrupted her. Lucy stared at the other witch, confused at her reaction, as she went on, "You're the type of person who can't be kept cooped up for this long. Look what happened to Sirius. It's not fair of us to ask you to stay in the house and never leave."

"Dora," Remus said, sounding surprised, as well.

"Just—next time, ask one of us to take you," Tonks requested, ignoring her husband. "That way we know where you are, and who you're with."

"I will," Lucy agreed. "Promise."

Tonks gave her a small smile before adding, "Could you give me a moment alone with Remus?"

Lucy nodded, and then she retreated to her bedroom. She contemplated using an Extendable Ear to listen in to their conversation, but she decided it would be better to give them their privacy.

She closed her door and turned to her empty bed. It had been two weeks since she'd seen Jeremy in person; every time she went to bed at night, she thought of him. She missed him so much, along with her other friends.

Then she heard her name being called by none other than her boyfriend. "Lucy, are you there?"

Lucy hurried across the room to her bedside table and picked up the two-way mirror. Jeremy was grinning at her through it.

"Hi!" Lucy exclaimed, smiling back. "What are you up to? Where are you?"

"The Room of Requirement, of course," Jeremy replied, "and we think we've found a way to get you all back here."

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: Remus mentioning Gideon and Fabian is a sneak peek at something that will come up later. Also him muttering "Gryffindors" makes me giggle. And obviously, he was also a Gryffindor, so he knows what he's talking about.**_

_**I also like the exchange between Lucy and George about what her code name is going to be. "'Cause what goes with lightning?" "Thunder." Bit of a nod to the Pixar movie Cars there.**_

_**Believe it or not, but we're about halfway through the story already! (Not including the Epilogue or the stuff I'm posting after it).**_


	13. 12: Moving

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 12 – Moving**

"Wha—I—shit, really?" Lucy stammered, hope rising in her chest. Her grin stretched so wide that it almost hurt, and she sunk down on the edge of the bed.

"Really," Jeremy replied with a chuckle. "We think we've _finally_ gotten the correct combination of directions for the Room of Requirement to keep anyone we want out. Neville's really the one who figured it all out—we just had to make sure all the loopholes we could think of were covered. Basically, as long as there's always someone in the room—which there will be, thanks to you lot—the door won't open for Snape or Carrow supporters."

"That's awesome!" Lucy exclaimed. "And it has toilets and showers and beds and everything?"

"Yeah, it looks amazing," Jeremy answered.

"So, I guess the next hurdle is—how are we supposed to get in there?" Lucy prompted.

"That one took some thinking from us, too," Jeremy said. "And the solution was all Sally-Anne. We were thinking about how to get you here, and then she mentioned that we also had to figure out how to keep you all fed—and all of a sudden, a passage opened up." He paused for dramatic effect, smirking at the impatient look on Lucy's face.

"Where does the passage lead?" Lucy demanded. "The kitchens? Somewhere else?"

"No," Jeremy said. "The Hog's Head."

"The Hog's Head?" Lucy repeated, frowning. "Wait, what about the other passages out of the castle?"

"They've all been sealed off," Jeremy reported. "Took them a while to find them all, but there's no getting in or out of the castle anymore, besides our path to the Hog's Head."

"But—why the Hog's Head?" Lucy asked.

"You'll see when you get here," Jeremy replied vaguely.

Lucy narrowed her eyes at him. "Why won't you tell me now?" she demanded suspiciously.

"Just—trust me," Jeremy insisted. "It's easier to explain when you've had the chance to see it. Anyway, you'll have to Apparate directly into the back room of the bar—don't worry, the barman knows all about the situation—and then you can get into Hogwarts through the passage."

"So… when?" Lucy asked.

"Whenever you want," Jeremy answered. "Maybe this weekend? Saturday? It'll have to be a time when some of us can disappear for a while to help all of you out."

"Saturday should be fine for us," Lucy agreed. "It's not like we're doing very much these days." She and Jeremy shared a chuckle. "I'll just have to talk to Remus and Tonks about it," Lucy went on. "I'm sure Remus will have a thing or two to say, though."

"What do you mean?"

"I—I left the house today," Lucy confessed. Jeremy's eyebrows raised, and she hurried on, "I needed to get out. I had cabin fever so badly.… So, I went to the Weasley twins' apartment. Turns out, they're starting a radio show with Lee Jordan, to keep the public caught up on what's really going on."

"And did Remus react badly or something?" Jeremy questioned.

"Oh, yeah," Lucy said. "I didn't tell them I was leaving; I just went. They had both been out of the house, so I took the opportunity to not have to explain myself. Apparently, Remus went around to anywhere he thought I might have gone, and when he found me, he reminded me that most members of the Order are being tailed—including Fred and George."

"Shit, Lucy," Jeremy breathed, looking alarmed. "The Death Eaters didn't see you, did they?"

"Not that I know of," Lucy replied. "But after this, I'm sure that Remus will have a lot to say about me moving back to Hogwarts with a group of Muggleborns in tow."

"Well, let's plan for Saturday anyway," Jeremy said. "The barman at the Hog's Head will help protect you all in case something happens."

"If you're sure that we can trust him," Lucy said.

"I'm sure," Jeremy replied firmly. "If something happens that you won't be able to come, send Neville a message to his watch—that'll be easier than you trying to call me on this thing."

"Okay," Lucy agreed.

"I love you," Jeremy said with a smile. "I can't wait to see you again."

"I love you, too," Lucy answered. "See you on Saturday."

**~LJ:TW~**

Lucy was right; Remus _did _have something to say on the subject.

"I'm sorry—I must have misheard you," Remus said. He was sitting beside his wife on the couch in their sitting room. "I could have _sworn_ that you just said you were taking the Muggleborns back to Hogwarts with you."

"No, that's what I said," Lucy stated, standing before them.

"But they're safe here," Tonks pointed out doubtfully. "Hogwarts is under You-Know-Who's control. How in the world are you going to get them back into the school?"

"Jeremy, Sally-Anne, and the others have been working on it for the past two weeks," Lucy answered. "We're going to use the Room of Requirement."

"_Anybody_ can get into that room!" Remus exclaimed.

"Not the way Neville has it set up," Lucy replied. "He's closed up all the loopholes. As long as there's somebody in the room at all times, nobody but people we want can come in."

"Well, what about food? What about toilets and running water and a place to sleep?" Tonks asked.

"The room has taken care of it," Lucy told her. "As for food, the room has apparently provided a passage into Hogsmeade—"

"You can't go into Hogsmeade!" Remus gasped. "There are Death Eaters patrolling it twenty-four seven, and they even have a curfew at night now!"

"The passage connects to the Hog's Head," Lucy clarified. She didn't miss the glance that Remus shared with Tonks. "What?"

"The Hog's Head?" Tonks repeated slowly.

"Yes," Lucy confirmed, still confused. "Jeremy told me that we can Apparate directly into the back room of the bar, and the barman would be able to help us from there."

Remus and Tonks looked at each other, this time for a few beats longer. Then Remus turned back to Lucy and asked, "And there's absolutely no way that we can change your mind about this?"

Lucy shrugged. "Not really. We need a place where not only will we be safe, but where the Muggleborns can practice magic without being found by the Trace. Besides, if you need anything from me, you can just come to the Hog's Head yourselves, or send me a message there."

Remus groaned, scrubbing his face with the heels of his hands. "You're too much like your parents," he muttered. "Always putting other people before your own safety."

"Yes, well, if they hadn't been that way, I might not be here right now," Lucy pointed out bluntly.

Remus's eyes softened at that statement. Lucy knew that she may have hit a sensitive topic, but she also knew that it would help her case in the long run.

"So what do you need from us?" Tonks asked.

"Oh," Lucy said. She hadn't expected them to offer her anything besides their blessing. "Well, I suppose it'd be nice to have help Apparating everyone to the Hog's Head."

"I should be able to help you out on Saturday," Tonks said. "Remus will, too."

"Are you sure?" Lucy asked, looking between the two of them.

"Of course," Tonks replied firmly, her tone indicating that there was no room for arguments.

"Okay." Lucy exhaled deeply, glad that Remus and Tonks were on board with her plan, even if they did think it was dangerous. "I guess I'll go and let the Muggleborns know what's going on."

**~LJ:TW~**

Five minutes later, Lucy had gathered all fifteen Muggleborns around her. They watched her anxiously, and Lucy hoped that they would be excited about this news.

"We're going back to Hogwarts," she began simply. There was stunned silence, and Lucy went on, "My friends have been working on a way to get us back there without being found by Snape or the Carrows, and they think they've done it."

"When are we going?" Colin Creevey asked eagerly.

"Saturday," Lucy told them. "We'll be Apparating again—this time into the Hog's Head, which is the other pub in Hogsmeade."

"I thought you said that Hogsmeade was being patrolled by Death Eaters," Kim Howell said, sounding uneasy.

"It is," Lucy confirmed. "We'll have to Apparate directly into the bar. Supposedly, the barman knows what's going on, and is willing to help us out."

"Okay, but what if you're wrong?" Kim challenged.

"That's why I'll be going first," Lucy explained patiently. She knew that they had good reason to be nervous about leaving the house—they could end up in Azkaban if they were caught, after all. But she trusted Jeremy, and if he said that the barman would help him, she was willing to take that risk. "Just like when we moved here, I'll go ahead first to scout out the situation. I'll Apparate to the Hog's Head myself—"

"You _can't_ go by yourself!" Colin cut in. "It'd be worse if they caught you as opposed to any of us! Sure, we'd probably go to Azkaban, but you—they'd probably take _you_ straight to You-Know-Who!"

"Calm down, Colin," Lucy said soothingly. "Honestly, I'd prefer to not go alone, but I'd rather do that than have any of you exposed."

"I'm coming with you," Colin said, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're not going into an unknown situation by yourself. What would Jeremy say?"

Lucy chuckled. "All right, all right," she said. "But _you're_ not coming with me. I'll take someone else—someone who can Apparate themselves out if they need to." She looked over at Roger and Justin.

"I'll go," Justin volunteered immediately.

"Thanks," Lucy said with a nod. "This might not even matter, though. Remus and Tonks are going to be helping us out, and knowing Tonks like I do, she might want to come with me, too. She _is_ an Auror, after all."

"So we're going to Apparate to the Hog's Head," Roger mused aloud, "and then what? How do we get to Hogwarts from there?"

"Well, we're going to be staying in the Room of Requirement," Lucy explained. "You remember when I told you about that place, right?" There were murmurs of confirmation, and Lucy went on, "Well, the room can't provide food for us out of thin air, so the others there were trying to figure out how to get us food. Then a random passage showed up, apparently, that connected the Room of Requirement to the Hog's Head. It's the only passage in and out of the school now."

There was silence for a moment, while the Muggleborns contemplated this plan.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Kim eventually spoke up.

"Mostly sure," Lucy replied. "Jeremy, Sally-Anne, and the others have been working really hard on this for us, so I'm at least going to try it." Again, there was silence. "Is there anything else you need from me right now?" Lucy added. There were some shaking heads among the group, and Lucy said, "Okay, then. We're leaving on Saturday; please make sure you're packed and ready to go by then."

After exchanging farewells, Lucy left the Muggleborns' area and nearly ran headfirst into Tonks. "Sorry, Tonks," Lucy said.

"It's all right," Tonks replied. "I was listening to what you were telling them, and I think your friend Colin is right. You can't go by yourself to make sure that everything is going to work. I know that Justin said he'd go with you, but I really think it'd be better if I came instead. Like you said, I'm a trained Auror."

"I figured you'd say something like that," Lucy said.

She followed Tonks back out into the sitting room, and for the first time since she'd come up with her plan, she felt doubt fill her. She was just a seventeen-year-old kid, after all; who was she trying to fool? They were in a relatively safe place for now. Was she about to blow it by attempting to move them all again?

"Do you think this is crazy?" Lucy asked in a whisper to Tonks.

"Of course I do," Tonks replied with a chuckle. "But you're all grown up now; this is _your_ mission, and you can make your own decisions on how you're going to handle it."

Lucy sighed and sat down on the couch. "I just want to make sure that these kids are protected," she said in a low voice. "They don't deserve this; they should be at school with their friends and classmates, learning to control their magic—not sitting around, cooped up in this house." She paused, feeling her bottled-up emotions rising, before going on, "And it's not just about protecting the Muggleborns, either. Those poor, young kids that are going to Hogwarts right now, getting all that pureblood propaganda poured into their heads!"

"It won't be forever," Tonks said, her tone certain.

"How can you be sure?" Lucy asked, sounding a bit desperate as she finally voiced her concerns. "I know that I put up this tough front, this—this _act_ about how I'm so grown up, but there are times where I'm just so scared about what might happen—to us, to Harry, to the Muggleborns—"

"Lucy, shh," Tonks said, sitting on the couch next to the younger witch. She put her arm around Lucy's shoulders and pulled her in close. "You're a fighter—you're _strong_. But you're allowed to feel doubt and uncertainty. If you want to know the truth, I don't think any of us really know what we're doing."

"I know," Lucy murmured. "But I can't help feeling like I'm not actually doing anything helpful, and if I take the Muggleborns to Hogwarts, there's a very real chance that we'll all get caught."

"Maybe so," Tonks agreed with a nod. "Does second-guessing yourself make you want to change your mind?"

Lucy thought about that for a moment. Why did she really want to get back to Hogwarts? It had originally seemed like such a simple answer: Hogwarts was the safest place in the world. That may have been true while Dumbledore was headmaster, but now that Voldemort was running the show, who knew if Hogwarts was really as safe as it used to be?

But the Muggleborns deserved to learn how to use their magic, and they definitely couldn't do that in the cabin. Most of them still had the Trace on them, which would alert the Ministry—and therefore the Death Eaters—roughly where they were. But at Hogwarts—at Hogwarts, they wouldn't get caught. The place was full of other underage witches and wizards using magic.

"No," Lucy finally answered Tonks. "No—we need to go back to Hogwarts. The Muggleborns can practice magic there, and I want to be able to support the other students, too. Besides, then it'll feel like I'm actually doing something."

Tonks smiled. "Well said. We'll go to the Hog's Head on Saturday, then."

Lucy let out a sigh. "Yeah, and then we'll see if this is going to work, or if everything's going to go to shit."

**~LJ:TW~**

Saturday came quite quickly, and Lucy felt like her insides were full of butterflies. But she was sticking to her guns; she and Tonks were going to Apparate into the pub first, just to scope out the situation, before bringing the Muggleborns through. Justin had been a bit disappointed when Lucy told him that Tonks would be going with her instead of him, but he said that he understood.

After saying farewell to the Muggleborns and Remus, Lucy and Tonks left the house, stopping just outside the magical protections. Tonks took Lucy's hand and turned on the spot.

They appeared inside a small, cramped-looking sitting room. There was a fireplace at one end of the room, with a portrait of a young girl hanging above it. Lucy looked around, still very nervous about what she was trying to attempt.

"Hello, Ab," Tonks greeted.

Lucy whirled around to see the barman enter from the stairs at the opposite end of the room. She vaguely recognized him from the one time she'd visited the Hog's Head two years ago, but she was more confused about how Tonks knew his name.

"Tonks," the man replied gruffly. "They mentioned that you might be involved in this." Then he looked over at Lucy and pointed at her. "I'm warning you now, girl—I don't want you getting the idea that my sitting room is a railway for you to come and go as you please."

Lucy was speechless for a moment, until the barman cracked a grin.

"Lucy, this is Aberforth Dumbledore," Tonks introduced with a giggle.

"Dumbledore?" Lucy repeated.

"As in the younger brother of Albus," Aberforth explained.

"I know," Lucy said with a nod. "Professor Dumbledore mentioned you once."

"Did he, now?" Aberforth wondered, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Yes," Lucy answered. "Although he did imply that he wasn't sure if you knew how to read or not."

Aberforth snorted. "That sounds like my brother." He strode across the room and looked up at the painting of the girl above the fireplace. "Go ahead and get them," he instructed to her.

The girl in the portrait smiled in response before turning around and walking further into her portrait. Eventually, she disappeared from view.

"So, you're smuggling a bunch of Muggleborns into the school, are you?" Aberforth asked, turning back to Lucy.

"That's the plan so far," Lucy replied.

"Those boys of yours—Longbottom and Whitlock—do you trust them?" Aberforth questioned.

Lucy frowned. "Of course I do. Why shouldn't I?"

"I just want to be sure," Aberforth said with a shrug. "Ah, here, she's coming back." Sure enough, there was someone coming back into view in the painting above the fireplace.

"Who is she?" Lucy asked curiously.

Aberforth was quiet for a moment. "My little sister," he finally told her. "Ariana."

Ariana was no longer alone. There were two people behind her, and a grin grew on Lucy's face when she recognized who they were. Then the portrait swung open to reveal a passage, and out clamored Jeremy and Neville.

"Lucy!" Jeremy said, rushing forward to pull her into a crushing hug.

"Well, you were definitely telling the truth," Lucy chuckled, hugging him back. "Well done; you've found a passage in and out of the castle, and a way for us to get food inside, too." She pulled away from her boyfriend to give Neville a hug, as well.

"So you haven't brought any of the Muggleborns yet?" Neville asked after he was finished hugging Lucy back.

"Nope," Lucy answered. "Tonks and I are going to go back and start moving them now that we've seen that everything is going to work out. If that's all right with you, of course, Aberforth," she added, turning to the barman.

"Well, at least you have the decency to ask," Aberforth remarked with a smirk. "Get on with it, already. I've got customers in the bar downstairs, and I don't want any of them getting suspicious—there are plenty of Death Eaters down there, you know."

Lucy felt alarmed, and she glanced towards the stairs. "Would they be able to hear us?"

"No," Aberforth assured her. "I've got some protections around my living area. I might allow the Death Eaters into my pub, but there is no way they're getting into my home without a fight."

"Come on, Lucy," Tonks said, touching Lucy's elbow. "Let's go get the Muggleborns."

Lucy nodded her agreement. "We'll be right back," she told the others, and then she let Tonks Apparate them back to their cabin.

**~LJ:TW~**

"You're back," Remus said, the relief obvious in his voice. "How was Aberforth? Is this going to work?"

"Yes, I think so," Tonks replied. She looked at Lucy and said, "I suppose I'd better warn you now, though; it had better work, because if the Death Eaters find out that Aberforth has been helping you, he's going to very upset with you."

"I trust that Neville, Jeremy, and the others have figured it out so that Snape and the Carrows won't be able to find us," Lucy said firmly.

A few minutes later, they had all the Muggleborns rounded up, and they sent all of their trunks ahead to the Hog's Head, with Tonks remarking that Aberforth may not be very appreciative of that, either.

"He'll just have to get over it," Lucy said, waving a hand dismissively. "All right, you lot. We're going to be Apparating again. We'll have to go outside and past the protective enchantments on the house to do so, but we're fairly sure that there aren't any Death Eaters out there right now, so we should be okay. We'll go three at a time, like we did when we came here—one with Remus, Tonks, and myself."

"_Stay in the house_," Remus added severely. "If for some reason we fail to return immediately, _stay put_."

With that, the Muggleborns lined up to leave the house. They started with the youngest first, just like they had when they'd left the Longbottoms' place. After reiterating to the rest of the Muggleborns that they needed to stay in the house, Lucy, Remus, and Tonks Disapparated with Al, Danny, and Euan in tow.

When they landed in Aberforth's sitting room, the young boys had to take some deep breaths to get the air back in their lungs. While they'd been away, Sally-Anne, Ginny, and Luna had come down the passage from Hogwarts and were waiting with Jeremy and Neville. Lucy was quick to hug all three girls.

"You three can come with me," Ginny offered to Al, Danny, and Euan. "We'll help you get your trunks up into the passage.…"

Ginny, Neville, and Jeremy hoisted the three boys' trunks up into the passage above the fireplace, and then Al, Danny, and Euan clambered up, as well. Ginny waved at the rest of them before disappearing down the tunnel with the Muggleborns in tow.

"Well, that was easy enough," Lucy commented before Disapparating with Remus and Tonks.

**~LJ:TW~**

Four trips later, Lucy, Remus, and Tonks arrived with the last of the Muggleborns—Colin, Roger, and Justin. Jeremy was the one waiting to take them back to Hogwarts.

"Stay safe," Tonks said, hugging Lucy tightly.

"I'll try," Lucy answered. "I'm sorry to leave you while you're still pregnant."

"Don't worry about it," Tonks replied. "My mum is going to move in with us soon, after I leave the Auror office. I'll keep you updated via Patronus, all right?"

Lucy nodded, pulling away from the witch. Then she hugged Remus, squeezing him tightly and whispering to him, "Be kind to yourself."

"I'll try," Remus echoed her. "You just keep yourself hidden, all right? Don't be afraid to send us a message, too, if you need to. I've talked to Bill and Fleur, as well, so they might be checking up on you every once in a while."

Lucy giggled, stepping back from her uncle. "I'll see you soon. Both of you."

Remus and Tonks waved one last time before Disapparating with a _crack_.

Lucy turned to Aberforth next. "Are you sure it's all right if we get food from you?" she asked him.

"Yes, yes," Aberforth said, waving his hand at her. "I'll get you what you need; no need for you to worry about it."

"If you're sure," Lucy said. "Thank you, Aberforth."

Then she turned to the fireplace, where Colin, Justin, and Roger had just gotten their trunks into the passageway. Jeremy was already in the tunnel, waiting for them. Lucy pulled out her wand and levitated her own trunk up into the tunnel, and then she climbed up onto the mantel. There she could see that the walls of the passage were lined with lanterns, and it twisted and turned out of sight. As they started down the path, Ariana's portrait closed behind them.

"So, tell us about Hogwarts so far," Lucy suggested to Jeremy.

Jeremy glanced over his shoulder at her and the other three boys. "Not much more to tell right now," he reported. "There's no Quidditch; no clubs of any kind are allowed to meet; curfew is nine o'clock for everyone; and there are no Hogsmeade visits scheduled this year. It's not nearly as bad as when the Chamber of Secrets was opened, and we had to be escorted everywhere, thankfully. And then the Carrows are in charge of punishments, and they're _really_ enjoying giving those out."

"What? Are they hurting kids?" Lucy yelped.

"Yeah," Jeremy confirmed. "The other teachers are supposed to refer us to the Carrows if we've done anything wrong, but we can tell that they're trying very hard to not have to. Amycus is the one teaching Dark Arts, and he's been having classes practice the Cruciatus Curse on kids who've got detention. Alecto—she's teaching Muggle Studies—and it's just like you'd imagine: telling us all that Muggles are terrible, dirty, and primitive beings, and that the _natural order is being restored_." Jeremy rolled his eyes at that.

They were quiet for a little longer, following the passage. Finally, they turned a corner and climbed a short flight of steps up to another portrait that was hanging open like a door.

"There's a ladder to get down," Jeremy told Lucy, Colin, Justin, and Roger. "Neville's waiting to help with your trunks."

One by one, they passed the trunks out to Neville and Seamus, who were standing just below the portrait hole. Then they all climbed down the ladder and entered the Room of Requirement.

"Wow," Lucy breathed, looking around in awe.

They were standing in what seemed to be a very large sitting room. There was a stone fireplace behind them, where the portrait to the passageway was hanging. There were a few different sitting areas, all with squishy-looking armchairs and couches. In one corner was a wide-open area covered in cushions. On one end of the room, there were two long dining tables. On the other side of the room was a corridor with doors off of it, and it turned a corner out of sight. Opposite of the fireplace was another corridor that also twisted out of view.

And the best thing—for Lucy, anyway—was that it felt warm and like it had been lived in. It didn't have that sterile feeling that new places could sometimes have; it was as though this room had _always_ existed there.

"Would you like the tour?" Neville asked, sounding proud. "It's really outdone itself, hasn't it? Much bigger and more impressive than when it became our hideout for Dumbledore's Army practices."

"Yes, I would definitely like a tour," Lucy said.

"Follow me," Neville said. He gestured around the main area and started, "Obviously, this is the main sitting area. There's room for dining over there, couches and chairs, and the spot in the corner is for practicing—you know, like Dumbledore's Army." He pointed to the area with the cushions. "The bathrooms and bedrooms are this way."

Lucy followed Neville to the corridor to the right of the fireplace. As they entered the corridor, there was a door on one side labeled as the girls' bathroom. Across from it was the boys' bathroom.

"They're fully equipped," Neville explained. "Toilets, sinks, and showers in each."

He led Lucy on, where she could see multiple doors, each of them with a blank plaque on them. The corridor turned to the right, where there were more doors.

"There are sixteen bedrooms," Neville said, opening one of the doors and letting Lucy look inside. "They're really fairly small, but at least everyone will have a place to sleep and put their things. And you can put everyone's names on their doors, so they know which room is theirs."

He hadn't exaggerated; the room was quite small. There was space for a single bed and a wardrobe, and there was an empty space in one corner big enough for storing a trunk.

"That's brilliant, Neville," Lucy said with a grin, shutting the bedroom door again. "So, where does that last corridor go?"

"It leads out," Neville answered. "It always lets out somewhere different in the castle, so we're never quite sure where we're going to end up. Just an extra precaution so that Snape and the Carrows can't find you."

"You really have thought of everything, haven't you?" Lucy commented as she and Neville rejoined the rest of the group, who were milling around the main sitting area.

"So, how have things been outside of Hogwarts?" Ginny asked Lucy. She was standing with Jeremy, Sally-Anne, Luna, and Seamus.

"I really don't know much," Lucy answered. "I've been cooped up in our cabin since you've been here. Although, I did go and visit Fred and George—they and Lee have started a radio show called _Potterwatch,_ which is dedicated to broadcasting what's really going on in the war. I have a list of the passwords, so we can listen in."

"Any news about Harry, Ron, and Hermione?" Neville asked.

"Nothing concrete," Lucy replied with a shrug. "They're on a mission from Dumbledore—top secret. I don't know if you saw in the _Daily Prophet_ a couple weeks ago, but they reported that Harry, with the help of a couple of accomplices, broke into the Ministry and escaped again, setting a bunch of Muggleborns free in the process."

"So do you think that they're at least still alive?" Seamus questioned.

"No doubt," Lucy answered immediately. "I think we definitely would have heard about it if they had captured or killed Harry. They would want to gloat about that." She glanced at her watch; it was nearly lunch time. "How long can you all be here with us?"

"We're supposed to be in the Great Hall for lunch soon," Ginny replied, looking at her watch, as well. "It's part of them trying to keep tabs on all of us; we have to go to every meal now, so that the students are accounted for on a regular basis."

_"Accounted for,_ huh?" Lucy repeated with a frown.

"Our Heads of House are expected to take roll at every meal and every night in the common room," Seamus explained. "It's definitely going to make it hard for us to continue Dumbledore's Army—"

"What do you mean, _continue_?" Lucy cut in, looking around at the others suspiciously.

"Do you expect us to just roll over and let the Carrows take Hogwarts?" Neville asked heatedly. "We're not going to let them win; we're going to show the rest of the students that we need to stand up for what's right—it's what Dumbledore would do—it's what _Harry_ would do."

"All right, all right," Lucy said, holding her hands up. "But just _be careful_. This isn't like it was with Umbridge, you know. These are Death Eaters, reporting straight to You-Know-Who. The Ministry may have been corrupted while Umbridge was here, but at least they probably wouldn't have killed you."

"We really should go," Sally-Anne broke in. "Lunch starts in ten minutes, and we don't know where the room will let us out. We can't be staging a rebellion if we're in detention, after all."

One-by-one, Lucy said her good-byes to her friends, leaving Jeremy for last. He swooped down on her, giving her a searing kiss.

"_Be careful_," she repeated to him one more time; Neville, Sally-Anne, Ginny, Seamus, and Luna were waiting for him at the exit corridor. "I don't want to give the Carrows an excuse to hurt any of you."

"I love you," Jeremy murmured in her ear before pulling away.

"Love you, too," Lucy answered, smiling at him.

As soon as they had left, Lucy turned back to the Muggleborns. "Let's get everyone set up in a bedroom, okay?" she suggested.

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: I think it's nice that Lucy has a moment of uncertainty about what they're trying to do. Smuggling a bunch of kids into the Room of Requirement under the Death Eaters' noses is very risky.**_

_**Obviously the Room of Requirement is going to look a little different in this story than it did in the book, since there's a group of people living in it now.**_

_**Interlude number 2 is up next!**_


	14. Interlude 2: Split

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Interlude 2 – Split**

"My parents are fucking _dead_!" Harry shouted, breathing hard.

"And mine could be going the same fucking way!" Ron retorted hotly, his chest also rising and falling faster than usual.

"Then GO!" Harry snapped. "Go back to them! Pretend you've got over your spattergroit, and Mummy'll be able to feed you up, and—!"

Both boys went for their wands, but Hermione beat them to it. "_Protego_!" she cried, and the shield charm erupted from the end of her wand. She and Harry were on one side of it, and Ron was on the other. The boys glared at each other across the tent, and Hermione was terrified of what was going to happen next.

"Leave the Horcrux," Harry stated, a mask of fury still on his face.

Ron stayed silent as he tugged the chain over his head and threw the locket into the chair next to him. He stared angrily back at Harry for a moment longer before turning to Hermione. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked him, looking frightened.

"Are you staying or what?" Ron demanded impatiently.

"I…" Hermione swallowed nervously. "Yes—yes, I'm staying, Ron. We said we'd go with Harry—we said we'd help—"

"I get it," Ron muttered. "You choose him."

"Ron, no!" Hermione gasped, but Ron turned on his heel and went to the tent flap. "Please!" Hermione cried. "Come back! Come back!" She tried to hurry forward and bounced off her own shield charm. She waved her wand impatiently, and the charm was broken. Then she ran out of the tent and into the rainstorm that was steadily getting heavier.

"Ron, _please_," Hermione begged, rushing toward his retreating form.

"_No_!" Ron screamed, whirling around to face her. "No, you've chosen him—you'll _always_ choose him—I can't believe I ever thought that there would be a time when you'd choose _me_! I'm leaving—so the two of you can finally be rid of me."

"It's not like that!" Hermione said, begging for him to understand. "Look, I made Lucy a promise—she made me _swear_ to her that I wouldn't leave Harry, no matter what happened—that he needed someone with him, even if he didn't believe it himself—"

"Well, if you haven't noticed, _she's_ not here, either!" Ron spat. "If she thought that Harry needed someone so badly, maybe _she_ should have been the one to come and stay with him!"

"_Please,_ just come back inside," Hermione said desperately. "It's the Horcrux that made you say all those things, I know it!"

"Good-bye, Hermione," Ron said, ignoring what she said about the Horcrux. "Have a good life with the perfect _Chosen_ _One_."

He had reached the edge of their protective enchantments, but the further away from Harry and their argument he got, the more guilty he felt. But those feelings of guilt were quickly washed away with his anger that Hermione didn't want to come with him—that she was going to stay here, with Harry, instead of going with him. And he knew that as soon as he left, he'd probably never find them again, because of the protective enchantments they used; not while they were still searching for Horcruxes, anyway.

"Ron, _please_!" Hermione sobbed once more.

Ron stepped out from the protective enchantments, then spun on his toes and Disapparated.

Hermione stared at the spot where he'd vanished for a few seconds before dissolving into tears. She wept for a minute or two before turning and going back into the tent.

"He's g-g-gone!" she wailed at Harry. "Disapparated!" With that, she dropped into a chair and buried her face in her hands.

Harry stood in the middle of the tent, frozen at what had just happened. Then, without saying anything, he went to Ron's bunk and pulled the blankets off it. He tossed the blankets over Hermione, and then he picked up the Horcrux and strung it around his neck. He got into his own bunk.

But he could not sleep. First his own sister, and now his best mate—abandoning him when he needed their help, even if he wouldn't admit it out loud.

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: I like the little bit of insight into Ron's point of view in this.**_


	15. 13: Ron at Shell Cottage

_**A/N: Today is my birthday! Happy birthday to me. :)**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 13 – Ron at Shell Cottage**

Lucy and the Muggleborns used the first weekend to settle into their new living arrangement. Each of the Muggleborns got to pick out a room for themselves—which was definitely a step-up for them, seeing as they had been sharing one big room at Sirius's cabin.

That evening, Dobby the house-elf showed up with their dinner. Lucy was very surprised but pleased to see him, and he was delighted to see her, as well.

"Dobby is helping Aberforth!" Dobby explained after Lucy asked what he was doing there. "Since Dobby is a free elf, Dobby doesn't have to listen to Snape. Dobby wants to help Harry Potter, and Aberforth says that this is how Dobby can help for now!"

"Well, thank you very much, Dobby," Lucy commented, beaming. "Just please stay safe. We don't want you to get in trouble on our account."

Dobby bowed low to her, muttering excitedly about how Lucy was just like her brother by putting Dobby's well-being first.

**~LJ:TW~**

Monday evening brought some members of Dumbledore's Army—Neville, Seamus, and Sally-Anne, along with a few others—to the Room of Requirement.

"We wanted you to meet some of our new recruits," Neville said, sounding proud.

"New recruits?" Lucy repeated. She glanced at the two students they'd brought with them; she didn't recognize them.

The new girl stepped forward, her hand outstretched. "Hi, my name is Gwen Sanders," she introduced herself, and Lucy shook her hand. "And this is my younger brother, Henry." Henry nodded at Lucy from behind his sister's back, who went on, "This is our first year at Hogwarts. Our parents had elected to teach us from home, but as that's not allowed anymore…

"Anyway, I'm a sixth-year Hufflepuff, and my brother is a fifth-year Gryffindor," Gwen continued. "When we found out about this underground rebellion, we knew we had to join. Not that we dislike Hogwarts, but we—and our families—should be allowed to choose what sort of education we get."

"I couldn't agree with you more," Lucy said. "I'm Lucy Jones, by the way."

"Oh, we know," Gwen said. "Everyone knows who you are. I almost didn't believe Ginny when she said that you and her were practically sisters."

Lucy couldn't help the uncomfortable feeling in her chest when Gwen said that everyone knew who she was. Squashing it down, she asked instead, "So, how are you liking Hogwarts? I'm sure it makes you want to go back to being home-schooled even more."

"It's been difficult," Henry spoke up. "We're not used to this formalized schooling, and you can feel around the castle that something's not right."

"We figured that if this was the group trying to take the current system down, we needed to join," Gwen finished.

"Well said," Lucy complimented. "As long as you—and the rest of you—" She looked pointedly at Neville, Seamus, and Sally-Anne. "—know to be extremely careful. The Carrows mean business."

"We know," Seamus said. "We're the ones who've been sitting in class with them for the past few weeks."

"Now that you and the Muggleborns are established here, we can start having proper meetings again," Neville went on. "We can start planning our rebellion."

"And what exactly have you thought about planning?" Lucy asked, narrowing her eyes at her friend.

"Just generally making things difficult for Snape and the Carrows," Neville replied with a shrug. "Once we start standing up to them, the other students will see that they can do it, too."

Lucy sighed, knowing that anything she said wouldn't change Neville's mind. She could see that he was committed to this cause. "I'll be here to help if you need anything," she offered eventually. "Obviously I can't leave this room, but anything else—just let me know."

"We should get going," Sally-Anne said, looking at her watch. "It's getting close to nine o'clock—we don't want to get caught out after curfew."

"Why?" Lucy questioned immediately. "What happens then?"

"They conjure up crows and have them chase you down the corridor," Sally-Anne answered with a deep frown. "It sounds funny in theory, but it loses its humor when you're trying to outrun a pack of birds that are pecking and clawing at you."

Lucy scowled. "Fucking bastards," she growled.

"We'll be back soon," Seamus said as he and the others said their farewells to the Muggleborns. "And don't worry, Lucy—we'll be careful."

Lucy watched as they disappeared down the exit corridor, and she whispered after them, "Yeah, you'd better be."

**~LJ:TW~**

After they had settled into the Room of Requirement, Lucy and the Muggleborns fell into an easy routine.

Every morning, Dobby would bring them their breakfast and lunch. Breakfast was usually something warm and filling that they would have had if they'd been in the Great Hall with the rest of the school. Dobby would also bring them a copy of the _Daily Prophet_. Lucy would look through the paper, reading aloud anything she thought that the Muggleborns would want to hear.

After they ate breakfast, they would start studying. They had a batch of textbooks, thanks to the room, and they were all very willing to help each other out. Normally, they probably wouldn't want to be studying every day. But since they had been told by the Ministry that they shouldn't have magic, they all wanted to prove that they had earned the right to be educated.

Lunch was usually cold sandwiches and some fruit or vegetables. Then they would go back to studying. They utilized the spot in the corner with all the cushions to practice charms and hexes.

In the evening, Dobby would return with dinner. He was always very excited to see them again, and he would even bring them gossip from the castle that only the house-elves knew.

Once dinner was over, the rest of Dumbledore's Army would show up. Sometimes they would spend the night scheming, trying to come up with ways to rebel but also help the other students. Many of their ideas ended up being ways to get students out of detention, and vandalizing the walls to advertise Dumbledore's Army.

Other times, they just hung out, grateful for a place that they could get away from the strict rules the Carrows had imposed. The Muggleborns enjoyed this, as well, as it gave them more people to interact with on a regular basis, as opposed to just each other.

**~LJ:TW~**

On one evening at the beginning of October, Lucy found herself surrounded by Jeremy, Ginny, Neville, Luna, Sally-Anne, Oliver Rivers (Sally-Anne's boyfriend), Daphne, Jake, and Seamus. Lucy had just brought up that Dumbledore had tried to give Harry the Sword of Gryffindor in his will.

"I wonder what happened to it," Lucy commented. "Scrimgeour never did tell us where it was, other than they weren't going to give it to Harry, since it wasn't Dumbledore's to give."

"I bet it's here somewhere," Ginny said. "I mean, it's the Sword of _Gryffindor_—it makes sense that they wanted to leave it at the school. It belongs here."

"If that's the case, I'd guess it's in Snape's office," Jeremy said. "I'm sure they know that Dumbledore tried to give it to Harry, so they'd want to hide it in a place that would be nearly impossible for Harry to get to."

"We should steal it," Neville stated. Lucy and her friends stared at him, but he insisted, "Really! We should! If Harry's on a top-secret mission for Dumbledore, and Dumbledore wanted Harry to have the Sword of Gryffindor, then we should try and steal it back for him!"

"Neville, I know you want to take down the Carrows and show the students that they don't have to be afraid," Lucy said, "but what you're talking about is dangerous—you could get more than just detention for it."

"Besides, even if it was here and we did manage to get it, how would we give it to Harry?" Sally-Anne pointed out. "Nobody knows where he is right now."

"I still think we should try," Neville mumbled.

**~LJ:TW~**

"Lucy!"

Lucy looked up to see Seamus and Sally-Anne running down the exit corridor and into the great room. She stood up and hurried forward to meet them. "What's wrong?" she asked immediately.

"Neville, Ginny, and Luna tried to get into Snape's office to steal the Sword of Gryffindor," Sally-Anne answered flatly.

"_What_?" Lucy gasped. "Why would they do that? I thought we'd all agreed that it would be too dangerous to try!"

"They got to the sword," Seamus reported, "but they were caught on the stairs as they tried to make their escape."

"Who caught them?" Lucy demanded.

"Snape," Sally-Anne spat the name. "He's given them detention in the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid."

Lucy was taken aback for a moment. "They've only got detention in the forest?" she repeated. "After breaking into the Head's office and trying to steal the Sword of Gryffindor, that's all they got? Don't get me wrong—I'm glad it's not more severe—but if the Carrows have been using the Cruciatus Curse on first-years who show up late for class…"

"I know," Seamus agreed. "We were all stumped, as well. We thought maybe it had to do with Neville and Ginny being purebloods—the Carrows don't seem interested in hurting the purebloods as opposed to those of us who aren't. They don't want to spill too much pure magic blood or something."

"That's fucked up," Lucy muttered darkly.

**~LJ:TW~**

A few days later, Lucy was playing Exploding Snap with Justin, Colin, and Colin's little brother Dennis when she received a message. Patronuses were the only things that could get through the Room of Requirement's enchantments, which was nice, since Patronuses couldn't be traced.

The Patronus took the form of a stallion, and Lucy was confused for a moment about whose it was—she knew that Jeremy's Patronus was a stallion, too, but he wouldn't be sending her a message that way.

Bill Weasley's voice came from the stallion, "_Lucy, we need you at Shell Cottage as soon as you can get here. Ron appeared in the middle of the night; he's by himself. He's asking for you._"

Lucy stared at the spot where the Patronus had appeared long after it had vanished. Her mind was racing, wondering what had happened. _Why was Ron at Bill's and Fleur's house? What about Harry and Hermione?_

"I have to go," she finally said, standing up. "Hold the fort while I'm gone, okay?" She hurried towards the fireplace.

"Wait, Lucy, what was that?" Colin asked, scrambling after her.

Lucy climbed up the ladder and knocked on the portrait. The frame swung open, revealing the tunnel to the Hog's Head behind it.

"That was Bill Weasley," Lucy answered. "Ron turned up on his doorstep and is looking for me. I have to go and figure out what's going on."

"Could it be a trap?" Dennis asked, concerned.

"No, I don't think so," Lucy replied. "Don't worry, I'll be careful. But if Ron has gotten separated from Harry, I need to go." She smiled at them. "Let the others know. I shouldn't be gone for too long."

Then she turned and started jogging down the tunnel. She couldn't help the anxiety she felt at the idea that Harry or Hermione had been hurt or captured.

It didn't take her long to reach the portrait on the other end. She pushed the frame forward and saw that Aberforth wasn't around. It was the middle of the day; he was probably down in his pub.

Before Lucy Disapparated, she cast a Disillusionment Charm on herself. Then she turned on her heel and vanished.

**~LJ:TW~**

Lucy hadn't been to visit Bill and Fleur since they'd moved to Shell Cottage. She appeared on a beach, and she could see the cottage in the distance. Removing the Disillusionment Charm from herself, she walked up to the house and knocked on the front door.

Unsurprisingly, she was met with a wand in her face. She quickly held her hands up in surrender. As soon as Bill had confirmed that it was her, he let her into the house.

"So, how are things?" Lucy asked as she entered the cottage.

Fleur stepped out of the kitchen, smiling at her guest. "Well, theengs 'ave been better," she reported.

"Likewise," Lucy said, walking up to the other woman and giving her a hug. "Where is he?" She turned back to Bill, whose lips were pursed.

"He's upstairs," he answered. "You can go straight up if you want."

"'Ere, take zis," Fleur added, disappearing into the kitchen for a moment. When she returned, she was carrying a small tray with a kettle and two tea cups on top of it.

"Thanks," Lucy said, accepting the tray.

"Upstairs," Bill instructed as Lucy moved towards the staircase, "and second door on the left."

Lucy nodded, and she ascended the steps, worried about what she was going to find. She still didn't understand why Ron would be here without Harry or Hermione, and she was wishing hard that nothing had happened to either of them.

She reached the room Bill had indicated, and she knocked softly. There was no answer, so she slowly pushed the door open. "Ron?" she asked tentatively.

There was no light in the room, other than the sunlight filtering in through the curtains. Lucy could see that there was a figure laying in the bed. Taking out her wand, Lucy lit the lamp in the corner of the room so she could see better.

Ron was on the bed, facing the wall away from the door. He still hadn't moved, so Lucy set the tea tray on the table in front of the fireplace. Anxiety was coursing through her at this point, and she sat down in the chair next to the bed.

"Ron, it's Lucy," she tried again.

Ron was still for a moment longer before he turned over. He didn't look at her, but she could see that he didn't look very well. His eyes were red-rimmed and there were heavy bags under them. He stared at the ceiling. "I fucked up," he finally said, his voice cracking.

Lucy frowned. "What do you mean, you _fucked_ _up_? What happened?"

"We had a row," Ron replied. "It was _bad_, Lucy. It wasn't just some little argument; it was a full-blown screaming match at each other across the tent. And I was furious, and then I—I left."

"You _left_?" Lucy repeated, temper rising a little. "Why would you leave them? They _need_ you!"

"Hark who's talking," Ron retorted, finally turning to her. "_You_ didn't come with us. Maybe _we_ needed _you_."

"This isn't about me," Lucy insisted. "Excuse me for sticking out my neck for a bunch of Muggleborns, making sure they didn't get sent to Azkaban simply for not having magical parents. _You_ were supposed to stay with Harry!"

"I know!" Ron snapped back. "I told you, I fucked up." He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "I shouldn't have left. And now I'm never going to be able to find them, as long as they're still hunting for Horcruxes."

Lucy's anger had mostly disappeared when she heard how distraught Ron was. So instead, she requested, "Start at the beginning, and tell me everything that happened."

Ron obliged her, sitting up straight in bed and accepting the cup of tea Lucy handed to him before he started. "Hermione Apparated us to Tottenham Court Road after Kingsley's Patronus appeared at the wedding. Then we were attacked by a couple of Death Eaters in a café—"

"_What_?" Lucy yelped, interrupting him immediately. "How were you tracked down so quickly?"

"Not sure," Ron admitted. "We wondered if maybe Harry still had the Trace on him."

"Hmm," Lucy frowned for a moment, thinking hard about how they could have been found. "Did any of you say You-Know-Who's name before they attacked you?"

Ron's brow furrowed for a moment while he thought. "Maybe," he said slowly. "You know what? Probably. Harry only stopped saying his name after I badgered him about it." He paused and then added, "Wait, _you_ didn't say it just now, either."

"No, it's been Tabooed," Lucy told him. "I can't believe none of you have heard about that yet—"

"Well, to be fair, we've kinda been on the run for the past few months. We haven't exactly had a lot of contact with the rest of the Wizarding world."

"Good point," Lucy conceded. "Well, not that _you_ ever do it, but don't say You-Know-Who's real name. It will bring the Death Eaters right to you, 'cause of the Taboo. Kingsley did it right after the wedding and had to go on the run."

"No shit?" Ron asked. "What—?"

"No, no questions from you," Lucy stopped him. "You need to keep telling me what happened with you, Harry, and Hermione. I'll answer questions after you're done."

Ron sighed and continued his story. He told her that, after the Death Eater attack, they went to Grimmauld Place to hide and figure out what they were going to do next. Then he told her about finding out who R.A.B. was—Sirius's younger brother Regulus—and the part Kreacher played in relation to the next Horcrux: Slytherin's locket.

When Ron got to the point where Remus had visited them, Lucy stopped him. "I know this part," she said. "Remus came home and told us all about it. Tonks was pissed at him for the rest of the summer. By the time I left, they had been slowly reconciling."

"When you left?" Ron repeated.

"You finish your story first," Lucy reminded him.

Ron continued with Kreacher bringing Mundungus to Grimmauld Place and them learning that Dolores Umbridge had gotten her hands on the locket that was actually a Horcrux. Then he told Lucy all about their trip to the Ministry to track the Horcrux down.

"I knew that was you," Lucy said. "It was in the _Daily Prophet_ the morning after."

Ron nodded before going on. He told her that they'd found the Horcrux and what they had to do to get it. Then he told her about Hermione having to Apparate them away from Grimmauld Place, because a Death Eater had been on their tails. Ron told her about the awful Splinching he experienced and took weeks to recover from.

Then Ron explained how they hadn't figured out how to destroy the Horcrux, nor had they found out where any of the others were. They had taken to Apparating around the countryside until they had come across a group of three wizards—a man named Dirk, Tonks's father Ted, and Dean Thomas—and two goblins, who were on the run from the Ministry. From this group, they had learned about Ginny, Neville, and Luna attempting to steal the Sword of Gryffindor.

"I told them not to," Lucy grumbled. "I told them that it would be too dangerous. It's one thing to graffiti the school and try to help kids escape from detention, but breaking into the Head's office…?" She shook her head.

"After that was when the row started," Ron said. He hesitated, clearly uncomfortable about telling her what happened. "It just—it didn't seem like Harry knew what he was doing, about all of this. And then it didn't sound like he cared about Ginny getting detention and possibly hurt for the stunt with the Sword of Gryffindor."

"Okay, I can see why that might have made you upset," Lucy said, "but I can't see how it turned into a huge row."

"Well, the Horcrux—we'd all taken turns wearing it around our necks, and it was starting to affect us," Ron explained. "I won't lie to you—I was having doubts because of how little we'd accomplished… but if it wasn't for the Horcrux, I wouldn't have snapped that badly."

"So you're saying the Horcrux made it worse?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah," Ron answered quietly. "But then, when I was in my rage and threatening to leave, I asked Hermione if she was going to stay—and she stayed, of course—'cause she'd promised she would, I realize that now, but at the time—with everything else going on—it just felt like a betrayal."

Lucy gazed at him sympathetically. She didn't know what it felt like to be under the influence of a Horcrux, but she could at least imagine how it felt when Hermione had insisted that she was staying with Harry. Lucy knew that Ron had been easily jealous when it came to Harry; it had happened just a few years ago, when Harry had been made one of the Hogwarts champions in the Triwizard Tournament.

"I know now that I was being stupid," Ron said. "As soon as I had Apparated away from them, I wanted to go back. But I ran right into a group of Snatchers."

Lucy gasped. "Did they hurt you?" she asked immediately.

"Nah, they were too stupid," Ron scoffed. "But because I look young enough, they got all excited that I might be a runaway Muggleborn. So I told them I was Stan Shunpike—his was the first name that came into my head."

"Did they believe you?"

"Well, they started to have an argument about whether I was who I said I was." Ron rolled his eyes. "They had taken my wand, and there were five of them, but at least I'd got them distracted. Then two of them got into a fight, so I hit the one holding me in the gut. I grabbed his wand off him, Disarmed the one who was holding mine, and then I was out of there. Didn't manage it very well, though—Splinched myself again." He held up his hand, showing Lucy where he was missing a couple of fingernails.

"Not nearly as bad as before, though, huh?" Lucy commented.

Ron shook his head. "Anyway, I Disapparated back to where I had left Harry and Hermione, but of course, they were already gone. I had no idea where to start looking for them, so I figured that coming back to what was left of the Order would be the next best thing."

"Oh, Ron," Lucy sighed. "What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know," Ron said, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not going to be able to find them. They've been using all sorts of protective enchantments, and seeing as it's usually Hermione who's casting them, I'm sure they work."

Lucy and Ron sipped their tea in silence for a moment.

"So, what have you been up to?" Ron prompted.

"Well," Lucy began, setting her tea cup down, "Jeremy and Sally-Anne surprised me at the wedding by Apparating us out before the Death Eaters showed up."

"Without telling you?" Ron asked.

"Without telling me," Lucy repeated in confirmation. "We ended up at Neville's house. Apparently, his grandmother's part of the Order."

"I never knew that," Ron commented.

"Neither did I," Lucy said. "After the Muggleborn Registration Commission showed up in the _Daily Prophet_, I knew I had to do something. So, with the help of Professor McGonagall, we rounded up some of the Muggleborns whose families hadn't gone abroad."

"You rounded up a bunch of Muggleborns?" Ron echoed, looking confused.

"Yes," Lucy replied, amused at his reaction.

"Did you ever think about trying to find us?" Ron asked.

"At first, it was all I thought about," Lucy told him, "but I had no idea how I was going to be able to meet up with you without blowing our covers. And then I saw that article in the paper… I figured, if I couldn't go with you to destroy Horcruxes, I could do the next best thing: try and help out the young Muggleborns. So, McGonagall and I went 'round to the Muggleborns' houses, and either convinced them that they needed to go abroad or let their kid come with us."

"How many did you end up with?"

"Fifteen."

"And they're all at your cabin?" Ron asked. "Are you still with Remus and Tonks?"

"Nope," Lucy replied. "Remus and Tonks are still living there. Tonks just quit her job at the Auror office, and her mother moved in with them to help her with the end of her pregnancy."

"I keep forgetting that she's pregnant."

"Me, too, now that I don't see her every day."

"So, where did you go with your Muggleborns?"

"Well, we went to the cabin initially," Lucy said. She hesitated, wondering whether she should tell Ron where they were, for security reasons. "We—er—we're back at Hogwarts."

"What? _How_?" Ron demanded.

"I'm not going to tell you all the details," Lucy said. "I'm just trying to think of the safety of the Muggleborns, after all. If you were captured, their location could be tortured out of you."

"Yeah, well, I told you about our Horcrux search," Ron insisted.

"True, but I already knew you were looking for Horcruxes," Lucy said with a shrug.

They lapsed into silence again.

"Listen," Lucy said, picking up her tea cup and draining the last of it. "If you ever manage to get back to Harry and Hermione, please promise me that you'll stay with them."

"I will," Ron said quietly. "I wish I hadn't left. Now I'm just going to be a burden on my brother."

"Couldn't you go back to the Burrow?" Lucy asked.

"No, I—I couldn't go back to my parents' house now," Ron answered.

Lucy understood what he didn't want to say; he felt too ashamed to show his face back at home. Choosing not to say anything more on the subject, Lucy stood up and placed both hers and Ron's tea cups back on the tray.

"Are you leaving?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, I have fifteen Muggleborns to look after," Lucy replied. "They're all studying hard, and I've promised to help them work on their Disarming Charms this afternoon. But I'll come to visit, so you won't have just Bill and Fleur to keep you company.

"Oh! Also, Fred, George, and Lee have started a radio show. It's called _Potterwatch_, and you need a password to get into the program. I think Bill knows about it. Anyway, they've been broadcasting what's really been going on, so you can keep up to date on everything. Yours truly may or may not be one of the correspondents." Lucy beamed, glad that she'd been able to keep helping with the radio show.

"Okay," Ron said. "I'll see you soon, then?"

"Of course," Lucy said with a smile. She leaned down and hugged her friend. "Be safe. Don't go doing anything stupid."

"Hark who's talking," Ron smirked as Lucy pulled away from him.

Lucy stuck her tongue out at him and then left the room, carrying the tray with her. She went down to the kitchen, where Bill and Fleur were sitting and talking quietly.

"Is he all right?" Bill asked immediately. "He wouldn't tell us anything; just that he'd gotten separated from Harry and Hermione."

"He's okay," Lucy answered, handing Fleur the tea tray. "He's just feeling guilty and a bit stupid for now. I'll be back soon to visit, if that's all right with you."

"You may as well," Bill said. "It's not like we can leave the house anymore. He's going to need the company, or else I'm afraid he's just going to mope around here for who knows how long."

"I'll be back this weekend, then," Lucy said. "Thanks. I'll see you later." She stepped forward and hugged both Bill and Fleur before exiting the cottage.

Lucy couldn't help but feel relieved. Ron was okay, even though he was feeling immensely guilty for leaving his friends, and Harry and Hermione were still all right, as far as Lucy knew. She really had been worried that she was going to receive some bad news.

When she'd gotten back to the beach, Lucy cast the Disillusionment Charm over herself and then Disapparated.

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: Gwen and Henry Sanders are only mentioned this one time. I wanted to show a glimpse of some home-schooled students who were forced to go to Hogwarts because of the new rules. I thought about adding them into the story, but I already have plenty of characters running around without adding more.**_

_**I don't know how well I've shown this over the series, since they don't have a lot of scenes where it's just the two of them, but Lucy and Ron actually are really close friends. I feel like she's scolding him a lot, but Lucy really does feel like Ron is like a brother to her.**_


	16. 14: From Christmas to Easter

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 14 – From Christmas to Easter**

October passed into November, and Lucy kept her promise to continue visiting Ron at Shell Cottage to keep his spirits up. She even played a game of chess against him, which was something she had once told him she'd never do. He beat her, of course, and it didn't surprise either of them. While Ron did enjoy the visits from Lucy, she knew that he was constantly thinking about how he was going to get back to Harry and Hermione.

As the days went on, Lucy wondered where Harry and Hermione were, now that she knew that they had been on the run all over the country. Maybe they would end up in Godric's Hollow at one point, like Harry had wanted to. Lucy would be a little jealous if that happened; she wanted to see where her parents had lived—where _she_ had lived for the first year of her life.

Lucy was surprised that she wasn't getting cabin fever like she did when she had been living with Remus and Tonks, although she was leaving Hogwarts more often than she had left the cabin in the woods. Not only was she leaving to visit Ron, but she was also still meeting up with Fred, George, Lee, and Remus to do _Potterwatch_. She was officially their Hogwarts correspondent, and her friends at the school were more than willing to help her dish the dirt on their new headmaster and his lackeys, the Carrows.

Meanwhile, the Muggleborns were continuing to practice their magic. Lucy made sure that they did a lot of defensive practicing, just in case they ever needed to defend themselves. All of them were showing major improvement in basic dueling spells, which Lucy was delighted about.

The Room of Requirement was also still the meeting place for Dumbledore's Army. After Neville, Ginny, and Luna had been caught trying to steal the Sword of Gryffindor, they had all decided that they weren't going to do something that dangerous again. Getting walloped once or twice for mouthing off to the Carrows was one thing; the possibility of getting arrested was something entirely different.

**~LJ:TW~**

It was the beginning of December before Lucy knew it. It was the weekend, and Lucy and Jeremy had snuck away from everyone else to spend some alone time in Lucy's little bedroom. Even though Lucy had been back at Hogwarts since mid-September, she and Jeremy hadn't been able to get a moment away from everyone—Lucy had been busy with the Muggleborns, and they had both been busy with Dumbledore's Army.

After throwing up a soundproofing spell, they were quick to shed their clothes, and Lucy cast the contraceptive charm on herself. They were quickly on the bed together. Neither of them lasted very long, something they weren't ashamed of. And when they were both spent, they curled up next to each other without bothering to get dressed.

"I'm sorry that it's been that long," Lucy said to Jeremy after they'd caught their breath.

"It's not your fault," Jeremy said. "We've all been otherwise preoccupied. Besides, we're in the middle of a war; we're lucky that we even get to spend _clothed_ time together."

Lucy giggled, laying her head on Jeremy's chest. She listened to him breathing for a little while, content to finally have some alone time with him. She found herself reluctant to get up and get her clothes on, but they both knew that they'd have to rejoin the real world.

There was still a lot of work left to do.

**~LJ:TW~**

Christmas was coming closer, and Lucy hadn't gotten anyone gifts. In her defense, it was quite difficult to get presents for friends and loved ones when she was in hiding; she couldn't exactly go out to the shops and pick something up.

Because the Muggleborns had to remain at Hogwarts over the holidays, Lucy had promised to be there for Christmas dinner. Nearly all of the other students had gone home for the holidays, glad to be out from under the Carrows' thumbs for a while. Even Jeremy and Sally-Anne left, choosing to go back to Sirius's cabin in the woods with Remus, Tonks, and Tonks's mother Andromeda.

Lucy spent the first few days of the holidays there, as well. She and Jeremy locked themselves in their bedroom for a few hours the evening they got back—Jeremy had arrived on the Hogwarts Express, while Lucy had Apparated from the Hog's Head. They spent the time thoroughly reacquainting themselves with each other, and they couldn't even be embarrassed over the fact that Remus, Tonks, Andromeda, and Sally-Anne were just in the other room.

**~LJ:TW~**

When Christmas morning arrived, Lucy paid Bill, Fleur, and Ron a visit. When Lucy got to the cottage, she found the three of them sitting around the living room, listening to the radio.

"Happy Christmas, Lucy," Ron said, grinning.

Lucy hugged the three of them, happy to see them, even if only for a few hours. She had to get back to Hogwarts that afternoon to have Christmas dinner with the Muggleborns. When she sat down next to Ron on the couch, Bill handed a batch of packages over.

"Mum gave this to me last time I went home," Bill explained. "She doesn't really leave the house these days, so she wanted to get you, Jeremy, Sally-Anne, Remus, _and _Tonks your presents. She knows that I've seen you, so she figured that I'd be able to get them to you."

"Your mother is a saint," Lucy said, smiling. "None of us really had any presents to exchange this morning, so I know that we'll all appreciate this. Be sure to tell her thanks from us when you see her next."

Bill and Fleur got up and went into the kitchen a few minutes later, leaving Lucy and Ron in the sitting room. They were listening to the soft music playing over the radio when they heard it.

"… _Ron…_"

Lucy and Ron sat bolt upright, staring at each other, and Lucy said, "That sounded like—"

"Hermione," Ron breathed.

It _had_ sounded like Hermione's voice.

"But where did it come from?" Lucy asked.

Ron rummaged around in his pocket before pulling out Dumbledore's Deluminator. As he was holding it, they heard Hermione's voice say something about a wand, and it was coming from the device.

"But—I thought—doesn't it just put lights out?" Lucy questioned, confused. "How is Hermione's voice coming out of that thing?"

"I don't know," Ron replied. "Should I—should I click it?"

"Might as well," Lucy said with a shrug.

Ron lifted it into the air and clicked it. The light in the room went out, but another light had appeared. It was a blue orb, floating outside the window.

"I think… I've got to go," Ron said, looking excited. "I think it's going to lead me somewhere—lead me to Hermione." He got up and sprinted for the staircase.

"How?" Lucy asked, scrambling after him. "Ron, wait—!"

Up in his room, Ron had already begun packing his bag. Lucy stood in the doorway, watching him apprehensively. The Deluminator was of Dumbledore's own making, after all, and if that orb of light had come from it, then it couldn't be a bad thing. But how could they be sure?

Ron was packed in just a few minutes. Then he tore from the room, went back down the stairs, and flew out of the front door, with Lucy on his heels.

"Ron, are you _sure_ about this?" Lucy asked.

"I'm sure," Ron answered. "I can just feel it. It's going to take me back to Hermione—back to Harry." He looked at Lucy and added, "Come with me."

"What?" Lucy asked, startled.

"Come with me," Ron repeated. "We all missed you, and we all need you. It was supposed to be the four of us hunting down Horcruxes—together."

"Ron, I can't," Lucy said softly. "I have all those Muggleborns to look after. I can't abandon them now. _They_ need me, too, more than the three of you do."

Ron sighed. "I figured you'd say something like that. Still, I had to try." Looking her dead in the eye, he added, "I promise you this, though: I won't leave Harry and Hermione again."

"Promise me that you'll be careful, too," Lucy said. "Please, _please_, be safe."

"I'll do my very best," Ron answered. Then he swooped in to give Lucy a hug, a first for him; usually it was Lucy who initiated their hugs. "Tell Bill and Fleur where I went."

"How?" Lucy laughed. "_I_ don't even know where you're going!"

Ron grinned before turning back to the ball of light. He stepped towards it and then paused as it floated towards him. It seemed to pierce his chest, but he didn't make any sound that indicated he was in pain. Lucy watched as he stood there for a moment before turning on his heel and Disapparating.

"Ron!" a voice shouted from behind Lucy.

Lucy looked over her shoulder and saw Bill and Fleur hurrying up to her.

"Where did he go?" Bill asked, looking concerned.

"I don't know," Lucy replied, facing them fully before briefly explaining to them what had happened. "He thinks he's going back to Harry and Hermione." She glanced back at the spot where her friend had just vanished from. "I just hope he knows what he's doing."

**~LJ:TW~**

Not long after, Lucy had Apparated back to Sirius's cabin in the woods. The others there were surprised to see her, as she was originally going back to Hogwarts directly when she was finished at Shell Cottage.

"I've brought presents!" Lucy announced.

"Where did you get presents?" Tonks asked.

"Mrs. Weasley gave them to Bill to give to me," Lucy answered. "There's one for each of us." She passed the packages out to Remus, Tonks, Jeremy, and Sally-Anne.

"Mrs. Weasley got me a present?" Sally-Anne questioned, looking touched.

Lucy nodded, smiling at her. "C'mon, open them up! I want to see what Mrs. Weasley got us."

Everyone tore into their packages. Each one was roughly the same size and quite lumpy, making Lucy suspect what they were before anyone had pulled the paper off. Sure enough, each one of them removed a hand-knit sweater from the packaging.

"Classic Weasley sweater," Lucy said, hugging the purple piece of clothing to her. She still had each one of her sweaters from the past six years, and she would cherish them forever. "Mrs. Weasley really knows how to make it feel like Christmas."

"Wow," Jeremy said, turning his blue sweater over in his hands. "This is wonderful. It looks really warm, too."

"It definitely is," Lucy said. "It's the best winter sweater you'll ever have."

The others murmured their agreement. Remus also had a blue sweater, although his was darker than Jeremy's. Tonks's was bright pink, and Sally-Anne's was green.

"We'll have to send her some kind of thank you," Tonks commented. "But you're right, Lucy. Now it really does feel like Christmas."

**~LJ:TW~**

A few hours later, Lucy, Jeremy, and Sally-Anne Apparated to the Hog's Head—Jeremy and Sally-Anne had decided at the last minute to come to Christmas dinner there, too. Aberforth gave Lucy the usual grief about her using his sitting room as a railway station before wishing them a Happy Christmas. Then the three of them climbed up into the tunnel and made their way back to Hogwarts.

"Happy Christmas, Lucy!" Colin announced when Lucy, Jeremy, and Sally-Anne had arrived back in the Room of Requirement.

Lucy grinned at them before descending the ladder and joining the Muggleborns in the dining area. Jeremy and Sally-Anne followed her.

"Hey, everyone," Lucy greeted. "Jeremy and Sally-Anne decided to join me this afternoon. Tonks and Remus are having Christmas dinner with Tonks's mother, and we thought it'd be nice for them to have a family dinner for the holiday."

The Muggleborns greeted Jeremy and Sally-Anne warmly.

A few minutes later, Dobby appeared with their Christmas dinner. He beamed as all the Muggleborns complimented and thanked him. They all helped set the dinner out on one of the tables, and then they squeezed together on the benches. They even invited Dobby to sit and eat with them.

The dinner felt almost like Christmas in the Great Hall. There were Christmas crackers that they all took turns opening, and the food was amazing, as it always was. Since none of them had any contact with their families or their other friends, this was all they were getting for Christmas, yet none of them complained. In fact, Lucy thought that it was shaping up to be a rather nice Christmas, despite the fact that they were in hiding in the middle of a war.

**~LJ:TW~**

The rest of the holiday break passed quickly. Lucy spent the few days after Christmas at Sirius's cabin with Remus, Tonks, Andromeda, Jeremy, and Sally-Anne. Then she went back to Hogwarts early so that she could spend time with the Muggleborns. She didn't want it to seem like she could come and go as she pleased while the Muggleborns had to stay put; she already felt like she left them too often.

Soon enough, the Hogwarts students had returned to school. Christmas was over, and with it came some terrible news.

Neville, Ginny, and Sally-Anne came to the Room of Requirement the night the students came back, and they were all looking grave.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked immediately. "What's happened?"

"Luna was taken by Death Eaters," Neville began, sounding upset. "We had just arrived back in London, and we were all getting off the Hogwarts Express, and I saw them take her. They say it's because of what her father had been writing in _The_ _Quibbler_."

"Apparently, they finally had enough of him not cooperating," Ginny said, pulling the latest copy of _The_ _Quibbler_ out of her robe pocket and tossing it towards Lucy.

Lucy caught it and looked at the front cover. There was the photo of Harry, declaring him as Undesirable Number One, that the Ministry was constantly putting out. Up until then, _The_ _Quibbler_ had been very pro-Harry, so Lucy wondered what had changed.

"Obviously, they kidnapped Luna to get him to stop publishing all that stuff about Harry," Sally-Anne said sadly. "And that's not all. He's been arrested and taken to Azkaban, even though he has been cooperating with the Death Eaters since they took Luna. Here." She handed Lucy a copy of the _Daily Prophet_.

Lucy took one look at the paper before gasping in horror. It stated that Harry had been seen at Xenophilius's house with an unnamed female, but they had gotten away.

"They went to see Xenophilius Lovegood?" Lucy murmured aloud. "Why would they go and see _him_?"

"I don't know, but they got away," Ginny commented gently. "That's the important thing."

"It is," Lucy agreed. "Hm.… It says that he was seen with a female—obviously Hermione—but there's no mention of anyone else. I wonder if Ron has found them again."

"I thought you said Ron was at Shell Cottage with Bill and Fleur," Ginny said, frowning.

"He was, but he thought he'd found a way to get back to Harry and Hermione, so he left on Christmas morning." Lucy sighed before asking, "How was it at home?"

"Quiet," Ginny answered. "Subdued. Mum cried a lot. You know, with Charlie in Romania, Percy still not talking to the family, and Ron on the run with Harry and Hermione.… Fred and George tried their hardest to make us all smile, but it was a very difficult holiday."

**~LJ:TW~**

Lucy had a hard time adjusting to the fact that Luna had been taken captive by the Death Eaters. Lucy didn't even see Luna on a regular basis, but they could all feel it in the dynamic of the group. Everyone missed her, and Lucy hoped every day that she was all right.

Lucy threw herself even more into helping the Muggleborns train to defend themselves. They were all studying and training hard, trying to get ready for anything that might happen.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. Before Lucy knew it, it was April. There had been no news on where Harry, Ron, or Hermione were, and the Carrows and Snape still hadn't discovered that Lucy and fifteen Muggleborns were hiding out right under their noses.

When Easter came around, most of the students went home for the break. Easter was usually a less popular time for people to go home, but those who left wanted desperately to get away from the Carrows. Jeremy and Sally-Anne went to Sirius's cabin in the woods, much like Christmas, but this time, Lucy stayed at Hogwarts with the Muggleborns.

Jeremy came back to Hogwarts via the Hog's Head passage on the first day of the break with bad news for Lucy. They went back to Lucy's bedroom to get some privacy.

"My mother sent me an owl," he began. "She said that she heard my father speaking with some other Death Eaters. They're going to try and use me to flush you out, which will in turn flush Harry out."

Lucy stared at Jeremy as her mind attempted to process this information. "I—you—what?"

"They can't get to me while I'm home, obviously," Jeremy said, "but when I get back on the Hogwarts Express, they're going to take me and use me as bait to get to you, so they can use you to get to Harry."

Lucy dropped onto her bed. "I can't—I don't—" She felt tears welling up. "What are we gonna do? I can't let you get taken off the train—I don't want you getting hurt because of me."

Jeremy sat down next to her and put his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. "Don't worry," he said. "I'm not planning on getting taken off the train." He sighed. "I guess I'll just have to stay back at the cabin until this all blows over."

"Or—you could stay here, in the Room of Requirement," Lucy suggested hopefully. "I know my bed isn't very big, but we could share, and you could help me with training the Muggleborns."

"I suppose I could," Jeremy said. "Huh. I never even thought about that option." He frowned before adding, "I'll pack a bag at the cabin instead of bringing my whole trunk. I shouldn't need all of my things if I'm effectively going into hiding."

"That settles that, then," Lucy said, smiling at the fact that Jeremy would be staying with her in the Room of Requirement. "That was nice of your mom to warn you, though. Any reason why she would do that?"

"She was raised to be a properly proud pureblood witch," Jeremy said, "but I have always been the most important thing to her. It's something my father has never realized before, and it's finally coming to bite him in the ass. If he's going to try and threaten me, my mother will do anything to stop him."

**~LJ:TW~**

A few days later, Lucy finally received a Patronus from George, letting her know that they were going to be doing another _Potterwatch_. They hadn't been able to do one since before Christmas, because the Death Eaters had been swarming around the area where they had wanted to broadcast from.

After saying farewell to the Muggleborns, Lucy went down the passage to the Hog's Head and Apparated away.

She appeared in a house she'd never been to before, finding Lee already setting up the microphones. Fred, George, Remus, and Kingsley were also present, getting the room ready for the broadcast. Lucy ran around the room, hugging them all; she savored the times when she could see her friends and make sure they were still alive.

Soon, they were all sitting down around the table. Lee waved his wand, and the broadcast began.

"Hello, faithful listeners," Lee began. "This is the one and only River, back for another episode of _Potterwatch_. We apologize for our temporary absence from the airwaves, which was due to a number of house calls in our area by those charming Death Eaters. But we've now found ourselves another secure location, and I'm pleased to tell you that all five of our regular contributors have joined me here this evening!"

"Hi," Lucy, Fred, George, Remus, and Kingsley all chorused.

"But before we hear from any of our contributors, let's take a moment to report those deaths that the _Wizarding Wireless Network News_ and _Daily Prophet_ don't think important enough to mention," Lee went on, and Lucy felt anxiety coil in her gut. "It is with great regret that we inform our listeners of the murders of Dirk Cresswell and Ted Tonks."

Lucy put her hand over her mouth to avoid gasping aloud. Remus reached over and squeezed her other hand in his.

"A goblin by the name of Gornuk was also killed. It is believed that Muggleborn Dean Thomas and a second goblin—both believe to have been traveling with Tonks, Cresswell, and Gornuk—may have escaped."

"If Dean is listening, or if anyone has any knowledge of his whereabouts, his parents, sisters, and friends are desperate for news," Lucy cut in quickly, and Lee nodded at her.

"Thank you, Rain," he said. "Meanwhile, in Gaddley, a Muggle family of five has been found dead in their home. Muggle authorities are attributing the deaths to a gas leak, but members of the Order of the Phoenix inform me that it was the Killing Curse—more evidence, as if it were needed, of the fact that Muggle slaughter is becoming little more than a recreational sport under the new regime.

"Finally, we regret to inform our listeners that the remains of Bathilda Bagshot have been discovered in Godric's Hollow. The evidence is that she died several months ago. The Order of the Phoenix informs us that her body showed unmistakable signs of injuries inflicted by Dark magic.

"Listeners, I'd like to invite you now to join us in a minute's silence in memory of Ted Tonks, Dirk Cresswell, Bathilda Bagshot, Gornuk, and the unnamed—but no less regretted—Muggles murdered by the Death Eaters."

Silence fell, and Lucy looked at Remus. "Does Tonks know?" she breathed in his direction, and Remus only nodded.

When the minute of silence was over, Lee started again, "Thank you. And now, we turn to regular contributor Royal, for an update on how the new Wizarding order is affecting the Muggle world."

"Thanks, River," Kingsley said before quietly clearing his throat. "Muggles remain ignorant of the source of their suffering as they continue to sustain heavy casualties. However, we continue to hear truly inspirational stories of wizards and witches risking their own safety to protect Muggle friends and neighbors, often without the Muggles' knowledge. I'd like to appeal to all our listeners to emulate their example, perhaps by casting a protective charm over any Muggle dwellings in your street. Many lives could be saved if such simple measures are taken."

"And what would you say, Royal, to those listeners who reply that, in these dangerous times, it should be _wizards first_?" Lee asked.

"I'd say that it's one short step from _wizards first_ to _purebloods first_, and then to _Death Eaters_," Kingsley replied, and Lucy nodded vigorously to signify her agreement. "We're all human, aren't we? Every human life is worth the same—and worth saving."

"Excellently put, Royal, and you've got my vote for Minister of Magic—if we ever get out of this mess," Lee said. "And now, over to Romulus for our popular feature _Pals of Potter_."

"Thanks, River," Remus said into his microphone.

"Romulus, do you maintain—as you have every time you've appeared on our program—that Harry Potter is still alive?" Lee prompted.

"I do," Remus stated. "There is no doubt at all in my mind that his death would be proclaimed as widely as possible by the Death Eaters if it had happened, because it would strike a deadly blow at the morale of those resisting the new regime. The Boy Who Lived remains a symbol of everything for which we are fighting: the triumph of good—the power of innocence—the need to keep existing."

"And what would you say to Harry if you knew he was listening, Romulus?" Lee asked.

"I'd tell him we're all with him in spirit," Remus said. "And I'd tell him—I'd tell him to follow his instincts, which are good and nearly always right."

"Well said, Romulus," Lee said. "Now, we turn to Rain and our usual update on those friends of Harry Potter's who are suffering for their allegiance."

"Thanks, River," Lucy said. "Well, as regular listeners will probably know, several of the more outspoken supporters of Harry Potter have now been imprisoned—including Xenophilius Lovegood, editor of _The Quibbler_. I have also heard through my sources at Hogwarts that Rubeus Hagrid—well-known gamekeeper at the school—has narrowly escaped arrest within the grounds of Hogwarts, where he is rumored to have hosted a _Support Harry Potter_ party in his house." Lucy had to bite her tongue for a moment to stop herself from laughing, because it was such a Hagrid thing for him to do. "However, Hagrid was not taken into custody, and is—we believe—on the run."

"I suppose it helps, when escaping from Death Eaters, if you've got a sixteen-foot-high half-brother," Lee chuckled.

"It would tend to give you an edge," Lucy agreed dryly. "Now, we here at _Potterwatch_ applaud Hagrid's spirit, but we would urge devoted Harry Potter supporters against following Hagrid's lead. _Support Harry Potter_ parties are unwise in the present climate."

"Indeed, they are, Rain," Lee said, "so we suggest that you continue to show your devotion to the man with the lightning scar by listening to _Potterwatch_! And now, let's move to news concerning the wizard who is proving just as elusive as Harry Potter. We like to refer to him as the Chief Death Eater, and here to give his views on some of the more insane rumors circulating about him, I'd like to introduce another of our usual correspondents: Rodent!"

"I told you, it's _Rapier_!" Fred shouted. "I'm not being Rodent, so stop calling me that!"

"Oh, all right, then," Lee said, his tone amused. "_Rapier_, could you please give us your take on the various stories we've been hearing about the Chief Death Eater?"

"Yes, River, I can," Fred said. He stuck his tongue out at Lee, who flipped him the middle finger in return. "As our listeners will know—unless they've taken refuge at the bottom of a garden pond or somewhere similar—You-Know-Who's strategy of remaining in the shadows is creating a nice little climate of panic. Mind you, if all the alleged sightings of him are genuine, we must have a good nineteen You-Know-Whos running around the place."

"Which suits him, of course," Kingsley said. "The air of mystery is creating more terror than actually showing himself."

"Agreed," Fred said. "So, people, let's try and calm down a bit. Things are bad enough without inventing stuff, as well. For instance, this new idea that You-Know-Who can kill with a single glance from his eyes? That's a _basilisk_, listeners. One simple test: check whether the thing that's glaring at you has got legs. If it has, it's safe to look into its eyes—although if it really is You-Know-Who, that's still likely to be the last thing you'll ever do."

"And the rumors that he keeps being sighted abroad?" Lee questioned.

"Well, who wouldn't want a nice little holiday after all the hard work he's been putting in?" Fred quipped. "Point is, people—don't get lulled into a false sense of security, thinking he's out of the country. Maybe he is; maybe he isn't. But the fact remains that he can move faster than Severus Snape confronted with shampoo when he wants to, so don't count on him being a long way away if you're planning on taking any risks. I never thought I'd hear myself say it, but safety first!"

"Thank you very much for those wise words, Rapier," Lee said. "Listeners, that brings us to the end of another _Potterwatch_. We don't know when it will be possible to broadcast again, but you can be sure we shall be back. Keep twiddling those dials; the next password will by Mad-Eye. Remember, keep each other safe, and keep the faith. Good night."

"'Bye!" Lucy, Fred, George, Kingsley, and Remus said together.

Lee ended the broadcast and then signaled to the others that it was safe to speak.

Lucy turned immediately to Remus. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I wish you'd told me about Ted—I would have come home to make sure Tonks was all right."

"She'll be fine," Remus said, patting Lucy's shoulder. "We all will be. It was a shock, of course, but Tonks and her mother have each other."

"How's Tonks feeling, anyway?" Lucy asked. "You know, with the pregnancy?"

"She keeps saying that she feels huge," Remus said with a small smile. "I don't blame her; she's around eight months, now."

"You will be sure to let me know when she gives birth, right?" Lucy requested. "I want to be there to see the little jellybean when he or she gets here."

Remus chuckled. "Don't worry," he assured her. "I will make sure that you know right away. I know that Tonks would want you to know, too."

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: This chapter seems like a big filler episode. There's very little going on during this period of time.**_

_**You hear a little bit more about Jeremy's mother in this chapter. Like he says, Jeremy is the most important thing to Eveline; he's the only reason she's been able to stay with her husband all this time.**_

_**This is the Pottermore broadcast that Harry, Ron and Hermione overhear, in case you were wondering.**_

_**Next is the third and final interlude!**_


	17. Interlude 3: Return

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Interlude 3 – Return**

"You—complete—_ass, _Ronald Weasley!" Hermione shouted, punching every bit of Ron that she could reach. "You crawl back here—after weeks and _weeks_—oh, _where's my wand_?" She turned quickly to Harry.

"_Protego_!" Harry said immediately, separating Hermione and Ron from each other. "Hermione!" Harry insisted. "Calm—!"

"I will _not_ calm down!" Hermione cried. "Give me back my wand! _Give it back to me_!"

Harry tried again, "Hermione, will you please—?"

"Don't you tell me what to do, Harry Potter!" she screamed. "Don't you _dare_! Give it back, now! And _you_!" She whirled around, pointing at Ron, who took a couple steps back. "I came running after you! I called to you! I _begged_ you to come back!"

"I know," Ron said. "Hermione, I'm sorry! I'm really—"

"Oh, you're _sorry_!" Hermione laughed. "You come back after weeks—_weeks_—and you think it's all going to be all right if you just say _sorry_?"

"Well, what else can I say?" Ron shot back.

"Oh, I don't know!" Hermione said sarcastically. "Rack your brains, Ron—that should only take a couple of seconds—!"

"Hermione," Harry said disapprovingly, "he just saved my—"

"I don't _care_!" Hermione insisted heatedly. "I don't care what he's done! Weeks and weeks—we could have been _dead_ for all he knew—!"

"I knew you weren't dead!" Ron cut in swiftly. "Harry's all over the _Prophet_ and the radio—they're looking for you everywhere. There're all these rumors and mental stories—I knew I'd hear straight off if you were dead. You don't know what it's been like—"

"What it's been like for _you_?" Hermione screeched incredulously.

"Look, I wanted to come back the minute I'd Disapparated, but I walked straight into a gang of Snatchers, Hermione," Ron said. "I couldn't go anywhere!"

"A gang of what?" Harry echoed, confused, as Hermione crossed the tent and sat down in one of the chairs, still glaring murderously at Ron.

"Snatchers—they're everywhere," Ron answered. "They're these gangs of people trying to earn gold by rounding up Muggleborns and blood traitors—there's a reward from the Ministry for everyone captured. They're allowed to use any means necessary to bring people in. Anyway, I was on my own, and I look like I might be school aged. The Snatchers got really excited—thought I was a Muggleborn in hiding. I had to talk fast to get out of being dragged to the Ministry."

"What did you say to them?" Harry asked.

"Told them I was Stan Shunpike," Ron snorted. "First person I could think of."

"And they believed that?" Harry questioned.

"They weren't the brightest," Ron commented with a shake of his head. "One of them was definitely part troll, going by the smell off him.…" He paused to glance at Hermione, who didn't move. "Anyway, they had a row about whether I was Stan or not. It was a bit pathetic, to be honest, but there were still five of them and only one of me—and they'd taken my wand. Then two of them got into a fight, and while the others were distracted, I managed to hit the one holding me in the stomach. Then I grabbed his wand, Disarmed the bloke holding mine, and Disapparated. I didn't do it so well, though—Splinched myself again." He held up his hand to show them his missing fingernails. "I came out miles from where you were. By the time I got back to that bit of riverbank where we'd been… you were gone."

"Gosh, what a _gripping_ story," Hermione cut in sarcastically. "You must have been simply _terrified_. Meanwhile, we went to Godric's Hollow and—let's think—what happened there, Harry? Oh, yes, You-Know-Who's snake turned up, it nearly killed both of us, and then You-Know-Who himself arrived and missed us by about a second!"

"What?" Ron gasped.

"Imagine losing fingernails, Harry!" Hermione said, ignoring him. "That _really_ puts our sufferings into perspective, doesn't it?"

"Hermione, Ron just saved my life," Harry said firmly.

But Hermione wasn't having it. "There's one thing I _would_ like to know, though," she said. "How exactly did you find us tonight? That's important. Once we know, we'll be able to make sure we're not visited by anyone else we don't want to see."

Ron rolled his eyes before pulling the Deluminator out of his pocket and holding it up for the others to see. "This."

"The Deluminator?" Hermione asked.

"It doesn't just turn the lights on and off," Ron explained. "I don't know how it works, or why it happened then but not any other time—because I've been wanting to come back ever since I left. Don't get me wrong, Bill's and Fleur's house is fine and all, and I was able to see Lucy a few times—"

"You've seen Lucy?" Harry interrupted. "She's with Bill and Fleur?"

"No, she's not," Ron said. "Bill called for her when I showed up, and she visited me when she could."

"Why didn't you bring her back with you?" Harry fired back.

"I asked her to come with, but she said she couldn't," Ron answered.

Harry felt a whisper of fury at that statement. "Well, why the hell not?" he demanded. "Why wouldn't she come and help us?"

"She's at Hogwarts," Ron explained. Harry and Hermione stared at him as he went on, "She wouldn't tell me how, but she's managed to round up fifteen Muggleborns, and she's hiding them at Hogwarts. She didn't want to tell me details, in case I got captured by Death Eaters."

Harry and Hermione exchanged a glance. Any guilt Harry had felt about leaving Lucy behind was being replaced by a sense of abandonment. _She should have come back with Ron_, he thought. _She's supposed to be here with us, not at Hogwarts with a bunch of Muggleborns_.

"Did she tell you what's been going on back home?" Harry asked, wanting a distraction from the anger that was building up in his chest.

Ron started, "Yeah, loads—"

"Excuse me," Hermione stopped him coldly, "but you were telling us about the Deluminator."

"Er—right," Ron said. "Well, on Christmas morning, Lucy came over to have breakfast with Bill, Fleur, and me. She and I were listening to the radio when we heard… we heard _you_, Hermione."

"You heard me on the radio?" Hermione asked.

"No, we heard you coming out of my pocket," Ron said. "Your voice came out of _this_." He gently shook the Deluminator in his hand.

"And what exactly did I say?" Hermione demanded.

"My name," Ron replied. "_Ron_. And you said… something about a wand.… So I took it out, but it didn't seem different or anything—but we were _sure_ we'd heard you. I asked Lucy if I should click it, and she said yes, so I did. This light appeared outside the window—it was like a ball of light, kind of pulsing and bluish—like that light you get around a Portkey, you know?"

"Yeah," Harry and Hermione said together.

"I knew this was it," Ron said. "I grabbed my stuff and packed it. Then I put on my rucksack and went out into the garden. The little ball of light was out there, waiting for me. I said good-bye to Lucy, and when I stepped toward the light, it—well, it went inside me."

"Sorry?" Harry asked.

"It sort of floated toward me, right to my chest, and then it just went straight through. It was here." Ron touched his chest to show them. "I could feel it—it was hot. And once it was inside me, I knew what I was supposed to do—I knew it would take me where I needed to go. So, I Disapparated, and came out on the side of a hill. There was snow everywhere.…"

**~LJ:TW~**

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_**A/N: This is the last interlude, btw. **__**I know it ends kind of abruptly, but if I didn't end it here, I would have had to put in Ron's entire explanation. The most important part of this exchange was Harry's anger at Lucy.**_


	18. 15: Briefly Reunited

_**A/N: Ack! Sorry about the late upload. Because of the holiday, I've kind of lost track of which day it is, and the reminders on my phone have been a little bit screwy. Here's chapter 15!**_

_**To my American readers: Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving on Thursday!**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

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**Chapter 15 – Briefly Reunited**

Lucy returned to Hogwarts following the _Potterwatch_ broadcast to see the Muggleborns lounging around the main sitting area. The radio was playing softly in the background, which meant that they had listened to the show. _Potterwatch_ and the regular reports Remus, Tonks, and Bill sent via Patronus was their only real means of keeping up with what was happening in the outside world.

Colin and Dennis Creevey met Lucy at the bottom of the ladder off the fireplace, asking if she wanted to play Exploding Snap with her.

"Have you all eaten dinner yet?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah," Colin answered. "Dobby brought it for us, but then Aberforth needed him for something, so he didn't get to stay for long. We saved you some, though."

"All right," Lucy said, nodding. "Let me get some of that before we play, okay?"

Twenty minutes later, Lucy had finished her meal, and then she joined the Creeveys in their game. They liked to play with Lucy's special extended deck, which had been a gift to her from the Weasley twins.

**~LJ:TW~**

They played for a few hours, until some of the other Muggleborns were heading off to bed. Even though there wasn't much stopping them from staying up as long as they liked, most of the Muggleborns—and Lucy herself—liked to get to bed at a decent hour. The Room of Requirement had sprouted some enchanted windows a few weeks into their stay, mimicking the outside world, so that they wouldn't lose their sense of time while cooped up in the castle.

Lucy, Colin, and Dennis had just finished another round of Exploding Snap when a burst of light entered the room. The Patronus took the form of a swan, and then—to Lucy's surprise—Fleur's voice came out of it.

"_Lucy, we need you at Shell Cottage urgently. Please come as soon as you can._"

Lucy stared at the Patronus as it faded away, shocked at the desperation in Fleur's tone. Then she was up and on her feet, hurtling towards the fireplace. She ignored the shouts from behind her as she hoisted herself up onto the mantle and knocked on Arianna's portrait. It swung forward, and she sprinted down the tunnel to the Hog's Head.

When she pushed the portrait open at the other end of the passage, she stopped short when she saw Aberforth standing in the room. She usually didn't see much of the barman when she was coming and going from his place. He turned to her, looking grave.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Harry Potter was captured and taken to Malfoy Manor," Aberforth answered.

Lucy froze, her stomach dropping. "No—"

"I sent Dobby after him," Aberforth added. "I haven't heard anything since, but hopefully he was able to get out."

"Wait—_you_ sent Dobby after him?" Lucy questioned. "How did you know he was there in the first place?"

Aberforth went to the fireplace and picked up something that looked familiar to Lucy—a two-way mirror. "I bought this off Mundungus, who'd found it at Grimmauld Place. Sirius had given the other one to Harry, and he still has it. I've been checking up on him in it."

"I didn't know that Sirius had given Harry a two-way mirror," Lucy said. "So Harry was able to get a message to you about where he was, and you sent Dobby after him?" Aberforth nodded, and Lucy went on, "I just got a message from Fleur Weasley, asking me to go to Shell Cottage as soon as I could. Maybe it has something to do with this."

"Maybe," Aberforth said. Then, with uncharacteristic kindness, he added, "Be safe."

Lucy gave him a small smile before turning on the spot and Disapparating.

**~LJ:TW~**

She appeared on the familiar beach a short way away from Shell Cottage. It was dark; she could hardly see the house from where she stood.

She jogged up the beach and entered the garden. She could see the silhouettes of people moving around inside the cottage, but then she heard a faint grunting noise coming from nearby. Pulling out her wand, she lit the end of it and scanned the garden.

"Harry?" she asked softly, her voice trembling a bit when she saw her brother. It had been so long—too long—and she couldn't help the tears that pricked in the corners of her eyes.

Harry, breathing a little heavy, looked up from the hole he was digging. He stopped, staring at her as though he wasn't sure what he was seeing. "Lucy," he finally said, his voice cracking a bit.

Lucy stepped closer to him as he climbed out of the hole. He seemed exhausted, and his eyes looked as though most of the life had been drained out of them. Lucy threw her arms around him and hugged him close, so unbelievably happy that he was still alive. Harry didn't even hesitate to fall into her embrace; he gripped the back of her robes tightly in his hands. She felt him loose a shuddering breath against her shoulder.

"Harry?"

Lucy let go of her brother, and he stepped away from her, turning to see who was coming towards them. Ron and—to Lucy's immense surprise—Dean Thomas had come out of the cottage, most likely to check up on what Harry was doing—Lucy still wasn't quite sure, but the pit in her stomach thought that the hole looked like a grave.

"Lucy?" Dean asked, looking confused.

"Hi, Dean," Lucy said, giving her classmate a small smile. "Fleur sent for me, but she didn't say why, so here I am." She glanced back at Harry again and asked, "What happened? I heard something about Malfoy Manor—"

Harry turned away from her, looking back at his hole. Then, without saying anything, he picked up his shovel and started digging again. Lucy glanced around at Ron and Dean; Ron mouthed _later_ in her direction.

"How's Hermione?" Harry asked.

"I-I—" Ron stuttered. He cleared his throat and said, "Fleur's looking after her."

"What happened to Hermione?" Lucy demanded, alarmed.

"She—er—" Ron was still looking at Harry with uncertainty, and Lucy knew that it must have been bad if he didn't feel comfortable talking about it in front of Harry.

"I'll go check inside," Lucy said quietly. "You can explain later." She turned and went into the cottage, noticing that Ron and Dean intended on joining Harry in digging the hole.

Lucy opened the cottage door after knocking tentatively. Bill was standing in the kitchen, and he didn't seem surprised to see her.

"Hi, Lucy," he said. "Thanks for coming as quickly as you could."

"Of course," Lucy said. "What's happened? Is Hermione okay?"

"I don't know much," Bill warned her. "Fleur and I were getting ready for bed when a house-elf—Dobby, I think his name was—appeared with Mr. Ollivander and your friends Dean and Luna. Then Dobby left again and returned a little while later with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and a goblin named Griphook. Hermione and Griphook were injured—badly."

Lucy let out a breath before dragging both of her hands through her hair. "Can I see Hermione?"

"Fleur's in with her now," Bill said, nodding towards the stairs. "She's in the room that Ron was in over Christmas."

Lucy said a short, "Thank you," before moving quickly across the room and up the stairs. _The second door on the left_, she told herself, pausing just outside it. Then she knocked quietly.

The door eased open, and Fleur stood before Lucy. Fleur let out a whimper before winding her arms around Lucy's shoulders and hugging her. Lucy returned the woman's embrace, and then Fleur moved aside to let Lucy into the room.

Lucy only took a couple of strides inside when what she saw made her stop short. Hermione was huddled on the bed, curled up on herself, as though trying to push herself into the smallest space she could contain—like she was trying to make herself disappear. Under the lamplight, Lucy could see that Hermione was battered, bruised, and bloody.

"Hermione?" Lucy called gently.

Hermione shuddered violently, not turning to Lucy. Lucy glanced quickly at Fleur, who looked very concerned. Lucy took a few cautious steps forward, going up to the edge of the bed. Then, tentatively, she reached down and touched Hermione's arm. Hermione started thrashing, and Lucy immediately sprung back.

"What _happened_?" Lucy hissed in Fleur's direction.

"I don't know," Fleur told her honestly. "She was unconscious when she arrived."

Lucy turned back to her friend, not knowing what to do. "'Mione," she murmured.

Hermione stilled, and Lucy was sure that it was because she had recognized the name that only her friends called her by. Hermione's head turned, and her wide, unseeing eyes met Lucy's gaze.

"'Mione, it's Lucy," Lucy said. "It's all right. You're safe; you're _free_." Hermione blinked once, then twice, and Lucy encouraged, "You're free. You're not there anymore. You're safe at Shell Cottage. Harry and Ron are here, and they're safe, too."

"Lu-Lucy?" Hermione asked, her voice hoarse—like she'd been screaming.

"I'm here," Lucy said. "I'm here, and you're safe."

Hermione's body seemed to loosen up at Lucy's words. She started to breathe a little easier, as well. "I hurt all over," she whispered.

"Fleur's here to help you," Lucy said. "She's got some medicine for you, and then we can help you get cleaned off, all right?"

Hermione jerkily nodded her head, her eyes darting around Lucy to look at Fleur. But she was slowly relaxing as she realized where she was and who was surrounding her.

Fleur stepped up, saying very quietly to Lucy, "Thank you." She handed Hermione a glass with a potion in it. "For ze pain and soreness," Fleur explained.

Hermione took the glass and drank it. Lucy and Fleur watched her for a few seconds until the potion kicked it. Hermione's eyelids drooped, and the relief in her expression was obvious to the other two.

"C'mon, 'Mione," Lucy said, holding her hand out. "Let's get you cleaned off, okay?"

Hermione accepted Lucy's hand and pulled herself to her feet. Lucy could see the scrapes and cuts all over Hermione's arms, face, and neck—some of them had bits of glass in them. Lucy and Fleur escorted Hermione across the hall into the bathroom, where they sat her on the edge of the bath. Fleur cast a numbing spell over Hermione's skin, so that she and Lucy could begin to pluck out the shards of glass.

"Where's Ron?" Hermione asked in her rough voice.

"He's outside with Harry," Lucy answered. "They were digging a—a hole."

"A grave," Fleur corrected solemnly. "For zat brave 'ouse-elf who saved you."

Lucy sagged. "Dobby—dead?" she asked. Fleur only nodded, and Lucy felt the tears spilling out of her eyes. After everything Dobby had done for her and the Muggleborns…

It didn't take Lucy and Fleur long to get all the glass out of Hermione's injuries. Then they began to clean Hermione up, gently rubbing her arms, face, and neck to get all the blood off. Lucy found a particularly deep cut at Hermione's throat, but she didn't ask about it.

Once Hermione was cleaned up, Lucy and Fleur escorted her back across the hall, and Fleur hurried to find Hermione a dressing gown. Soon, Hermione was redressed, and Lucy was holding what she had been wearing.

Hermione extracted her sweater from the pile, but left the rest of the clothing in Lucy's arms. "Burn them," Hermione requested firmly.

"Burn—your clothes?" Lucy repeated, wanting to make sure she'd heard her friend correctly.

"Yes—burn them," Hermione said. "I never want to see them again."

So, Lucy took the clothes downstairs and pitched them unceremoniously into the fireplace.

**~LJ:TW~**

The sky was beginning to lighten when Luna suggested that they all go outside to help Harry bury Dobby. Lucy, Luna, Hermione, Fleur, and Bill all slid their feet into shoes and donned coats before heading out into the garden.

Harry, Ron, and Dean were just about to lower Dobby's body into the grave. Lucy's heart gave a lurch, and she bit her lip to stop herself from sobbing.

"We should close his eyes," Luna suggested, alerting the boys to their presence. She bent down and gently pushed Dobby's eyelids shut. "There. Now he could be sleeping."

Harry lowered the elf into the grave and then climbed out. They all stared down into the hole. Lucy reached over and grabbed her brother's hand, squeezing once—she knew how much Dobby had meant to Harry, and even though he was trying not to show his emotions, Lucy could read them all over his face.

"I think we ought to say something," Luna said. "I'll go first, shall I?" Nobody protested, so she began, "Thank you so much, Dobby, for rescuing me from that cellar. It's so unfair that you had to die, when you were so good and brave. I'll always remember what you did for us. I hope you're happy now."

Then Luna looked at Ron, who seemed startled for a second before saying, "Yeah… thanks, Dobby."

"Thanks," Dean muttered.

"Good-bye, Dobby," Harry said, clinging to his sister's hand for support.

Bill then waved his wand, and the dirt that Harry had dug out was moved back to the hole, covering Dobby's body. They all stared at the small mound.

"D'you mind if I stay here a moment?" Harry requested, but he refused to let go of Lucy's hand.

Everyone else shuffled back towards the cottage after muttering their condolences to Harry. Lucy was the only one who stayed.

After a moment of silence, Lucy murmured, "I can leave, too, if you'd like."

Harry didn't speak, and he let go of her hand. He was looking around the garden for something. Then he picked up one of the stones that was lying on the ground and pushed it into the dirt above Dobby's grave. Pulling out his wand, he started to etch words into the stone. Lucy silently stood by his side, ready to be there if he needed her, but also ready to leave if he wanted her to.

When he was finished, the words upon the stone read: _Here Lies Dobby, A Free Elf_. Harry stared at the stone for only a few more seconds before gesturing at Lucy to follow him back to the cottage.

**~LJ:TW~**

When Lucy and Harry entered the cottage, they saw everyone else was in the sitting room, listening to Bill speak. Harry paused in the doorway, and Lucy stood next to him.

"—lucky that Ginny's on holiday," Bill was saying. "If she'd been at Hogwarts, they could have taken her before we reached her. Now we know she's safe, too." He glanced up and saw the Potter twins staring at him. "I've been getting them all out of the Burrow," he told them. "Moved them to Muriel's. Now the Death Eaters know Ron's with you, they're bound to target the family—don't apologize," Bill cut Harry off before he could even say anything. "It was always a matter of time—Dad's been saying so for months. We're the biggest blood-traitor family there is. It's a miracle we were able to stay out of hiding for this long."

"How are they protected?" Harry asked.

"Fidelius Charm," Bill answered. "Dad's Secret-Keeper. And we've done it on this cottage, too; I'm Secret-Keeper here. None of us can go to work, but that's hardly the most important thing now. Once Ollivander and Griphook are well enough, we'll move them to Muriel's, too. There isn't much room here, but she's got plenty. Griphook's legs are on the mend—Fleur's given him Skele-Gro; we could probably move them in an hour or—"

"No," Harry stopped him. "I need both of them here. I need to talk to them. It's important." Everyone in the room was staring at him now, including Lucy, and he said, "I'm going to wash. Then I'll need to see them, straightaway." He moved away into the kitchen.

"What's been going on?" Bill asked, turning to Ron and Hermione. "What does he need to talk to Ollivander and Griphook for?"

Ron could only shrug. Bill shook his head and stood up, followed by Fleur. Lucy frowned, trailing after them, intending to tell them off if they were going to badger Harry about his intentions.

Harry was standing at the sink in the kitchen, a towel in his hand. He looked at Bill and Fleur as they entered the room. "I need to speak to Griphook and Ollivander."

"No," Fleur said at once. "You will 'ave to wait, 'Arry. Zey are both ill, tired—"

"I'm sorry, but it can't wait," Harry cut her off. "I need to talk to them now—today. Privately—and separately. It's urgent."

"Harry, what the hell's going on?" Bill demanded. "You turn up here with a dead house-elf and a half-conscious goblin—Hermione looks as though she's been tortured—and Ron's just refused to tell me anything—"

"We can't tell you what we're doing," Harry said. "You're in the Order, Bill. You know Dumbledore left us a mission. We're not supposed to talk about it to anyone else."

Fleur looked like she might have a thing or two to say about that, but Bill gave her a small shake of his head. Then he said to Harry, "All right. Who do you want to talk to first?"

"Lucy," Harry said, turning to look his sister dead in the eye. "I need to talk to Lucy—that should give you time to prepare the other two. And then—" He hesitated for only a moment. "—I want to talk to Griphook first."

"You can talk to Lucy upstairs," Fleur offered. She glanced over her shoulder at Lucy and said, "Zat same room zat 'Ermione was in."

"Lead the way," Harry said. "I need you two, as well!" he added, and Hermione and Ron appeared in the other doorway.

Lucy obliged him, taking the lead on the stairs. They went down the hall and into the bedroom. Once Harry had shut the door, he turned to Lucy.

"Why didn't you come with us?" he asked quietly, sounding as though he'd wanted the answer to that question for a long time.

Lucy frowned, not realizing what an impact her staying behind had left on him. "I was going to come with you—I really was. I didn't plan for things to work out this way. But then, we were all there at the wedding, and the Death Eaters were coming, and I saw the three of you on the other side of the tent.… I wasn't going to make it to you in time, and it was more important that _you_ got out."

"I get that," Harry said shortly. "But when you saw Ron at Christmas—why didn't you come back with him?"

"I told you, mate," Ron cut in. "She has a bunch of Muggleborns that she smuggled into Hogwarts—"

"So?" Harry said, and Lucy could hear the strained rage building up in him.

"What do you mean, _so_?" Lucy said swiftly, her anger rising a little, as well. "I needed to make myself useful. Don't you dare—don't you _dare_—stand there and act like I should have abandoned those kids just to join up with you—"

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize that hiding out with a bunch of Muggleborns was more important than hunting down fucking _Horcruxes_," Harry snapped sarcastically.

"Shut the fuck up, Harry," Lucy snarled. "You don't know what I've been doing since you've been gone."

"What _have_ you been doing?" Harry sniped back.

"I smuggled fifteen Muggleborn students into the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts," Lucy said. "I went with McGonagall and convinced many, many others—and their families—to go abroad to save themselves. I've been at Hogwarts, doing my best to support the other students that are there. I've been a regular correspondent on _Potterwatch_, trying to help keep the public informed about what's really going on with You-Know-Who. I helped kick some sense into Ron when he ran away." She sent a glare at Ron, who flushed. "So I might not be out there risking my neck to help find and destroy Horcruxes, but I _am_ trying to keep the Muggleborns safe and out of Azkaban."

Harry actually looked contrite when Lucy was finished. It was as though his anger at her had very quickly ebbed away. "I—I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry for assuming you were just hiding out until You-Know-Who was defeated."

Lucy had to admit, it was weird to hear Harry not use Voldemort's name aloud. "It's all right," she said. "Like I said, I needed to do something besides sit on my ass all day. By the time I saw Ron at Christmas, I was far too invested to just leave them all behind." She sighed and then said, "Will you tell me what you've been up to? And what happened tonight?"

The four of them sat down on the bed and chairs in the room, getting comfortable, before Harry, Ron, and Hermione began their tale. They told Lucy everything that they had been through, even the parts that Ron had already told her over Christmas: going into the Ministry to find the locket; Ron leaving; Harry and Hermione going to Godric's Hollow; Ron returning; the doe Patronus and finding the Sword of Gryffindor; their visit to Xenophilius Lovegood, Luna's father; hearing the _Potterwatch_ broadcast; and then everything that had happened at Malfoy Manor, which included—to Lucy's horror—Hermione being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange.

By the end of their story, Lucy was in tears. She was so, _so_ thankful that they were all alive and in one piece.

"So," Harry began after the short silence, "I'm pretty sure I already know the answer to this, but do you want to come with us now?"

"I have fifteen Muggleborns to look after," Lucy said, shaking her head sadly. "I can't abandon them now. Plus, Jeremy is going to have to go into hiding, too. Apparently, his father and his Death Eater buddies were going to capture Jeremy to try and get to me, so they could get to you."

"They're getting a bit desperate, aren't they?" Harry commented, to which Lucy nodded.

There was a knock on the door, and Bill poked his head inside the room. "Do you still want to talk to Griphook and Ollivander? Because they really should be getting some rest soon."

"Yes," Harry said. "We're coming." He stood up and looked at Lucy expectantly.

"If you three are all safe and okay, I think I'm going to head back to Hogwarts," she said. "I left in a hurry without explaining; they're going to be worried. But if you're going to be here for a while, I'll come back to visit."

One by one, she hugged each of her friends hard. They had been able to see each other again, but it was only a small comfort; they still had a war to fight.

**~LJ:TW~**

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_**A/N: According to the Harry Potter Wiki, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are captured and taken to Malfoy Manor in late March. However, we know that it is currently Easter break, because of what Bill tells them when they get to Shell Cottage (Ginny was home for the holiday), and Easter in 1998 was April 12th. Therefore, it is actually April.**_

_**The idea of enchanted windows is inspired by the Hufflepuff common room, where there are enchanted windows, since their common room is actually underground (I think).**_

_**I think it was important to show that Hermione was not okay after Malfoy Manor. I mean, she was tortured and then was unconscious, so waking up in an unknown place would have been very jarring. Lucy saying "You're safe; you're free" was inspired by A Court of Mist and Fury, when Mor saves Feyre. (If you have never read A Court of Thorns and Roses and its sequels, I HIGHLY recommend it.)**_

_**I also think that internally, Harry is shocked at how much he depends on his sister. Hence why he's so angry with her when she refused to join them when Ron returned.**_


	19. 16: Jellybean

_**A/N: Fun fact: this is my absolute favorite chapter in this whole story.**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

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**Chapter 16 – Jellybean**

Lucy already knew, of course, but when Easter break ended and the Hogwarts term began again, Neville came to the Room of Requirement with the news.

"Ginny's not here," he reported glumly. "Nor is Jeremy."

"I'm here, Neville," Jeremy said, jogging into the sitting area from the bedrooms. "I've had to go into hiding temporarily."

Neville did a double-take, confusion clear on his face for a moment. "What happened?"

"Apparently, my father and the other Death Eaters were going to kidnap me off the train and use me as bait to lure Lucy out of hiding," Jeremy explained. They had attracted most of the Muggleborns around them, who were hanging onto Jeremy's every word as he went on, "Then they were going to capture Lucy to use _her_ as bait to get to Harry."

"How did you find out?" Colin piped up.

"My mother sent me an owl," Jeremy replied with a shrug. He didn't seem willing to go into details, and nobody pushed him for more information.

"Well, what about Ginny?" Neville asked.

"All the Weasleys have had to go into hiding, because the Death Eaters know that Ron has been traveling with Harry," Lucy told them. "It's been all over the _Prophet_. But I think Fred and George are still operating their Owl-Order service from their Aunt Muriel's house, in case any of you need any Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products." She grinned at that, and the Muggleborns returned her smile. It was always good, Lucy had noticed, to try and get them to smile after receiving bad news.

"I guess we'll just have to keep at it," Neville said with a shrug. "Dumbledore's Army will always be here to help protect the students. At least until Harry returns, of course."

Lucy stared at him for a moment before asking, "Who says Harry is going to come back here?"

"Come off it," Neville scoffed. "He'll come back and help us get rid of Snape and the Carrows eventually!"

"I don't think he will," Lucy warned, noticing that a lot of the Muggleborns looked hopeful. "I've told you, he's on a secret mission from Dumbledore. If everything goes well, You-Know-Who will be defeated, and then I suppose Snape and the Carrows will be removed."

"Then Harry _will_ help us!" Colin Creevey piped up.

"I mean, indirectly, sure," Lucy said, "but please—don't get your hopes up, okay? Because I really, _really_ don't think that Harry is going to be coming back here any time soon."

**~LJ:TW~**

Lucy did indeed live up to her promise of visiting Harry, Ron, and Hermione at Shell Cottage. She usually visited every day at lunch time. During her time there, she had learned about the Deathly Hallows that Xenophilius Lovegood had told them about. Hermione thought they were just a story, while Harry was inclined to believe they really existed.

Bill was quick to inform Lucy that they had been spending a lot of time shut up in the small bedroom with the goblin Griphook. But no matter how much Bill prodded, Lucy wouldn't give him any answers.

"I don't even know myself," she eventually told him. "They've been quiet about it, and for good reason. If I'm captured any time soon, they won't be able to torture Harry's current plans out of me."

Her matter-of-fact tone had silenced Bill for a while.

There was another bonus that Lucy had found when visiting Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She had told them how Dobby had been helping her and the Muggleborns get food into the Room of Requirement, and Harry had made the suggestion that Kreacher help.

"Kreacher?" Lucy repeated, wrinkling her nose. "Why would Kreacher want to help us?"

Harry went over in detail about what had happened between the three of them and Kreacher when they were at Grimmauld Place. Apparently, Kreacher was a completely changed elf, and Harry even called him to Shell Cottage to request his assistance.

"Since he's technically _my_ elf, not a Hogwarts elf, he doesn't have to answer to Snape," Harry told Lucy. "Therefore, he shouldn't get in any kind of trouble—and you shouldn't be discovered—if he helps you."

**~LJ:TW~**

In the middle of April, things changed for the occupants of the Room of Requirement. Neville had appeared one day out of the blue, with his rucksack over his shoulder.

"What's going on?" Lucy asked.

"I need somewhere safe to hide," Neville answered.

"Explain," Lucy demanded.

"You know how the Death Eaters have been kidnapping kids to get their families to cooperate?" Neville prompted.

"Yes," Lucy said with a frown. "Like Luna."

"Yeah, like Luna," Neville said. "Well, it seems that the Carrows are sick of me trying to wreak havoc around the school, so they thought it could work the other way around. They sent someone over to my gran's house."

Lucy gasped, putting her hand to her mouth. Although the woman could be quite harsh with her grandson, Lucy would always be grateful for Augusta Longbottom allowing her and the Muggleborns space at her house.

"Oh, don't worry," Neville chuckled, a proud grin twisting on his face. "Dawlish was sent to St. Mungo's after his encounter, but unfortunately, my gran is now on the run." He reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a letter. "She wrote to tell me all about it, and she told me—she told me she was proud of me—and that I was my parents' son, and they would have been proud of me, too."

Lucy smiled, her eyes watering a bit at the emotion on Neville's face and in his tone. She knew that he'd always wanted to please his grandmother—to make her proud—but Lucy knew that it was even more important to him that he honor his parents and their sacrifice.

"So, what brings you here looking for somewhere to stay?" Lucy prompted.

"Well, if they couldn't control me with Gran, I guess the Carrows decided to take matters into their own hands," Neville said with a shrug. "I'm not sure if they were just going to cart me off to Azkaban, or if they were actually planning on killing me—" Lucy gasped, but Neville went on, "—but they were definitely hunting me down. I knew this was the only place I could disappear to."

"Oh, Neville," Lucy said. "You're definitely welcome to stay here with us. Only—well, we don't have any extra bedrooms. I'm not sure what you'd want to do about that."

"That's all right," Neville said. "I'll just kip on one of the sofas."

Lucy frowned. "I'm sure we can find you something," she insisted. "Or the room could produce something for you—"

Almost as though the Room of Requirement was listening to their conversation, the corner of the room next to the fireplace seemed to grow. Then a hammock appeared, decked out with Gryffindor blankets. Lucy and Neville stared at it for a moment before looking back at each other.

"I guess that solves that problem," Neville said with a grin.

"That's definitely a good thing," Lucy agreed. "I have a feeling that if the Carrows are going to start coming down harder on Dumbledore's Army—and any other rebels out there—we may have more students showing up, looking for a place to hide."

**~LJ:TW~**

Over the next week, Lucy's statement proved to be correct. The rest of Dumbledore's Army moved into the Room of Requirement, especially after Seamus Finnigan was beaten quite brutally by the Carrows. Every time a new student showed up, a hammock would appear with blankets decorated with their house colors.

With sixteen original Dumbledore's Army members—not counting any who had been Muggleborn—and a handful of students who had joined Neville's cause just in the past year, there were over twenty hammocks hanging in one corner of the room. Them plus the fifteen Muggleborns, Lucy, and Jeremy proved to be quite a crowd of people. The room had expanded wonderfully, and Kreacher was kept quite busy, bringing them their meals and helping to keep the place tidy.

Lucy had needed to see Kreacher's change of heart to believe it. She sometimes still expected him to be the grumpy old house-elf that had essentially sent Sirius to his death. But if Harry could forgive him, so could Lucy.

When Kreacher had started bringing them food, Lucy had had to explain to the Muggleborns that Dobby had been killed while helping Harry. The Muggleborns had thrown a small memorial in Dobby's honor; they were all grateful for the house-elf's help during their time in the Room of Requirement.

**~LJ:TW~**

It was nearing the end of April when Lucy was once again interrupted with a Patronus arriving for her. It took the form of a wolf—Remus's Patronus.

"_Dora has gone into labor. Jellybean is on their way_."

A great swell of happiness grew in Lucy's chest. She took one look at Jeremy, who was smiling knowingly.

"Go on," he said.

Lucy reached over and kissed him hard on the mouth before jumping up and running to the fireplace. She could feel the eyes of everyone following her across the room, but she didn't stop to explain to them what was happening—Jeremy would take care of it for her.

She sprinted down the passageway to the Hog's Head. Jumping out of the tunnel and into the room, she made sure that Arianna's portrait shut behind her before turning on the spot.

**~LJ:TW~**

The woods surrounding the cabin came into view as Lucy appeared. She hurried forward to the house and burst inside, only to find a wand pointing at her face.

"It's me; I got your message!" Lucy cried urgently.

Remus studied her for only a heartbeat longer before lowering his wand. He was pale and shaky, his hair sticking out at funny angles, as though he'd been gripping it in both hands. Lucy heard a low, agonized moan come from his and Tonks's bedroom.

"Is everything all right?" Lucy asked.

"Yes, yes, everything is fine." A witch strode out of the bedroom, whom Lucy vaguely recognized as one of the members of the Order of the Phoenix. "She's just experiencing regular labor pains. She said she wanted to feel it, at least for a little while, to appreciate what women everywhere have to go through."

Lucy stared at the witch for a moment longer before glancing at Remus, one of her eyebrows cocked at him in question.

"Lucy, this is Emmeline Vance," Remus introduced. "Emmeline, this is Lucy Jones."

Emmeline walked forward, offering her hand to Lucy, and Lucy shook it. "Good to meet you," Emmeline said. "I've seen you around the Order meetings, and I knew your parents, of course. I shared a dormitory with Lily."

"Oh," Lucy said, startled. She didn't realize that any of her parents' friends—save for Remus, of course—were still alive.

"Yes," Emmeline went on. "We weren't overly close, but we were all friends at some point."

"We?" Lucy echoed.

"Yes," Emmeline repeated. She looked and Remus and asked, "How much have you told her about our little gang?"

Remus frowned. "I never really found a good time to mention it."

"I suppose not," Emmeline said. "Not since nobody knew that Lucy even existed until a few years ago—except you and Sirius."

"Marlene knew, too," Remus murmured.

"Well, of _course_ she did," Emmeline said with a roll of her eyes. "She always knew everything, that girl. There's a reason why she and James were best friends as children; practically the same person, they were. You know, a part of me always wondered if they would ever grow to be more than friends, but obviously not."

Lucy watched Remus and Emmeline interact, craving the information that they were sharing with her. She wanted so badly to know more about her parents—and it was something that she could share with Harry later.

"Besides, wasn't Marlene named their godmother?" Emmeline added, and Lucy blinked in shock.

"Yes," Remus said, but before he could go on, there was another pained groan from the next room.

Andromeda stuck her head through the door. "Emmeline, could you please come in and check on my daughter again?" she requested in a strained voice.

"Right away," Emmeline answered, turning and swiftly walking back to the bedroom.

Lucy turned to her uncle. "I had a godmother?" she questioned.

"Yes," Remus repeated. "Marlene McKinnon was your father's best friend when they were children, and your mother's best friend while they were at Hogwarts. She was the girlfriend of Sirius's that I told you about last summer."

Lucy bit her lip. "You said that she and her whole family were killed."

"Yes," Remus said sadly. "Well, nearly her whole family. I believe her older sister's husband and daughter were out of the country when it happened, but I don't think they ever came back—too many painful memories."

Lucy nodded, feeling sad about what Remus and all his friends had to go through during the first war. "So, you had a whole gang at Hogwarts?" she asked, changing the subject slightly. "I always thought it was just the four of you Marauders."

"We were always very close," Remus said, "but yes, we did have a larger group of friends. Nearly all of us joined the Order of the Phoenix at the end of our last year of school, and nearly all of us are—" He stopped abruptly, and Lucy knew that he didn't have to finish his sentence. He sighed and added in a whisper, "Peter—Wormtail—we've just gotten the news that he was found dead at Malfoy Manor. I'm—I'm the only one left."

Lucy's heart broke. Even with Wormtail's despicable betrayal of her parents, she knew that Remus would still mourn his death—still mourn the fact that he was the last of his best friends still alive. It was even more horrific when Lucy realized that he was only in his mid-thirties.

Emmeline exited the bedroom again, announcing, "Well, she's making progress slowly. Says she still wants to be feeling the pain. I'd say we have a little while longer to go."

"Are you a Healer?" Lucy asked curiously.

Emmeline snorted. "Not exactly, although I did have some informal training when I was younger. My mother was a midwife, and I have seen quite a few births from when I was helping her." She settled down in one of the armchairs, which prompted Lucy and Remus to sit on the couch.

"Can you tell me more about how you knew my mom and dad?" Lucy requested softly.

Emmeline smiled kindly at her. "There were five of us girls sorted into Gryffindor in our year. Myself, Marlene, Mary, Alice, and Lily. And then there were the boys, of course—James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Frank, Fabian, and Gideon. We stuck together throughout our years at Hogwarts—experienced happiness and heartbreak together—especially heartbreak towards the end.…" Emmeline stared into the fire, her eyes becoming a bit glassy.

"After the war, we—those of us remaining—split apart to live our own lives," Remus spoke up for Emmeline when he, too, noticed that she was having difficulties voicing the story. "Fabian and Gideon had been hunted down and murdered by Death Eaters—Marlene and her whole family had been killed—Alice and Frank had been tortured into insanity—James and Lily were dead—Sirius was imprisoned for killing Peter—although, as you know, we found out later that was a lie—that only left myself, Mary, and Emmeline."

"Mary got married and had a family," Emmeline said, "while Remus and I went to deal with our grief in our own ways."

"Alice and Frank…" Lucy muttered. The names seemed familiar to her.

"Neville's parents," Remus told her softly.

"I met her once—Alice," Lucy whispered, the memory coming back to her. "When Mr. Weasley had been bitten by the snake, and we were all at St. Mungo's visiting him.… Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and I ran into Lockhart, and he's in the same ward as Neville's parents. She—Alice—she gave Neville a candy wrapper.…" Tears gathered in her eyes as she thought about her friend and his parents. Then she asked, "And Fabian and Gideon?"

"Molly Weasley's younger brothers," Remus answered. "They were twins. Fred and George are named both after them and in their honor—Fred Gideon and George Fabian."

There was a screech from the other room, reminding Lucy, Remus, and Emmeline what they were there for. Emmeline jumped up and ran into the bedroom, while Remus stared at the doorway with unseeing eyes. His hands went into his hair again, gripping it tightly.

Lucy leaned over and tugged his hands away. "You're going to rip your hair out," she scolded him. "Everything is going to be fine. Women have babies all the time, and Tonks is plenty strong enough to make it through this."

"I know," Remus said, his voice a bit hoarse. "It's just—it's hard to listen to the person you love most in this world going through pain."

"I know," Lucy murmured, patting her uncle on the shoulder. "I know."

**~LJ:TW~**

It took another few hours, but soon Tonks was screaming in agony. Remus was pacing the sitting room, and Lucy didn't attempt to calm him down. She could hear Emmeline inside the bedroom, trying to reason with Tonks to let her give her some pain relief.

"_NO!_" Tonks shouted. "I want to feel this! Don't try and take this away from me!"

Remus stopped his pacing, half-turned towards the bedroom door as though he was going to burst inside to give either Emmeline or Tonks a piece of his mind; Lucy really wasn't sure which. Lucy jumped up and grabbed his wrist to stop him.

After a few more minutes of argument, Emmeline came out into the sitting room. "She's ready to start pushing," she reported. "She wants you in here, Remus. C'mon."

Lucy had never seen Remus look so frightened. She gave him a little shove towards the bedroom, and he obediently went inside. Emmeline smiled at Lucy before disappearing behind him.

**~LJ:TW~**

Another forty minutes later, there was silence except for the crying of a newborn baby. Lucy lifted her head, happy tears coming to her eyes. Tonks had done it; there was a brand new life in the world.

Lucy spent the next hour in the sitting room, waiting impatiently to meet the child. Giving the new parents time to bond with their baby proved tougher than Lucy thought it would be, but she waited nonetheless. Emmeline joined her shortly after the birth was finished, grinning at the excited look on Lucy's face.

Finally, the bedroom door opened, and Andromeda stuck her head out. She grinned at Lucy and beckoned her into the room. Lucy immediately stood and went inside. Tonks and Remus were lying on the bed together, a bundled form cradled in Tonks's arms.

Remus looked up as Lucy entered the room. He looked younger than Lucy had ever seen him, the radiance in his expression so powerful, and his eyes shining with such joy. "I have a son," he croaked. "I have a son."

Tonks tore her gaze away from her son to beam at Lucy. "Come see him," she said. "He's perfect."

Lucy obeyed, moving over to the bed. Tonks angled her son away from her a bit so that Lucy could get a good look at the boy. He was so small, still fussing a bit as little squeaks came out of him.

"What's his name?" Lucy asked quietly.

"Edward Remus Lupin," Tonks replied promptly. "My little Teddy."

Lucy nodded, not at all surprised that Tonks was naming her son after her father and Remus. She reached out with a finger and touched Teddy's little fist. "Hi, Teddy," she whispered.

"We've discussed it, and Dora and I agree," Remus began. "Lucy, would you be Teddy's godmother?"

Lucy's eyes snapped over to his face. "Remus—Tonks—are you sure?" she asked, and they both nodded. "I—I am _so_ incredibly honored.… Of course I will be his godmother."

"We're going to ask Harry to be godfather whenever we see him again," Tonks said.

"Harry's at Shell Cottage with Bill and Fleur," Lucy said, to the surprise of everyone in the room. "You didn't know?" she added.

"We haven't had very much communication with the Weasleys, especially since they've gone into hiding," Remus said. "Bill gave me their address in case of an emergency, but other than that, we've heard nothing."

"You'll have to go to Shell Cottage and tell them the news, Remus," Tonks said, returning her gaze back to her son. "Teddy and I are going to try and get some rest."

"Dora—"

"I'll be here with her, Remus," Andromeda said gently. "Emmeline is still here, too. Everything will be just fine here. Go—tell them the news."

Remus placed a kiss on his son's head before sweetly kissing his wife. "Thank you," he murmured to her. "I am so proud of you, and I love you so much."

"I love you, too," Tonks said.

Remus stood from the bed and turned to Lucy. "Would you like to accompany me to Shell Cottage?"

"All right," Lucy agreed.

The two of them said good-bye to Andromeda and Emmeline before exiting the cabin. They walked past the edge of the protective enchantments, and then Remus took Lucy's hand. He spun on his heel, and they Disapparated.

**~LJ:TW~**

The sea was lapping against the shore when they appeared at Shell Cottage. There was a howling wind blowing through their hair. Lucy hurried to keep up with Remus, who was so excited that he seemed like he was about to jump out of his skin.

When they reached the front door, Remus raised his fist and pounded on it.

Lucy grabbed his hand. "Remus, you're going to scare the shit out of them!" she scolded.

"Who is it?" Bill called from inside the house.

"It is I, Remus John Lupin!" Remus shouted. "I am a werewolf, married to Nymphadora Tonks, and you—the Secret-Keeper of Shell Cottage—told me the address and bade me come in an emergency!"

"Seriously, you're going to freak them out," Lucy said.

Then the door was wrenched open, and Remus stumbled through into the house. Lucy followed, shaking her head at him.

"It's a boy!" Remus announced. "We've named him Ted, after Dora's father."

"Wha—?" Hermione squealed; she and the others were sitting around the dinner table. "Tonks—Tonks has had the baby?"

"Yes, yes, she's had the baby!" Remus replied gleefully.

"Congratulations!" Hermione and Fleur said.

"Blimey, a baby," Ron gasped.

"Yes—yes—a boy," Remus repeated. Then he walked over to the table and pulled Harry into a hug. "You'll be godfather?"

"M-me?" Harry said, clearly startled.

"You, yes, of course," Remus said. "And Lucy is godmother. Dora quite agrees—no one better—"

"I—yeah—blimey—" Harry stuttered.

"That's how I felt, too," Lucy giggled.

"I can't stay long," Remus said to the room at large. "I must get back."

"Stay for just a few more minutes," Bill said, rushing to the cupboard and pulling out a bottle of wine. "Let's have a toast for little Ted before you go."

"All right, all right," Remus conceded. "Thank you—thank you, Bill."

Bill poured everyone a glass of wine, and they each held up their goblet.

"To Teddy Remus Lupin, a great wizard in the making!" Lucy announced for her uncle, who beamed at her before taking a drink from his glass.

"'Oo does 'e look like?" Fleur asked after they'd all drank their toast.

"I think he looks like Dora, but she thinks he's like me," Remus answered. "Not much hair. It looked black when he was born, but I swear it's turned ginger in the hour since. Probably be blond by the time I get back. Andromeda says Tonks's hair started changing color the day that she was born."

"I think he looks like both of you," Lucy supplied, sipping the wine from her glass.

Remus had finished the wine in his goblet, and Bill gestured with the bottle. "Oh, go on then. Just one more," Remus agreed.

_Just one more_ turned into them all finishing the first bottle of wine and opening a second. There was talk and laughter, as though they'd all forgotten they were in the middle of a war. They discussed whether they thought that Teddy would be a Metamorphmagus like his mother, and which house he'd be sorted into when he finally went to Hogwarts.

Eventually, Remus got to his feet and said, "No, no, I really must get back. Good-bye, good-bye—I'll try and bring some pictures in a few days' time—they'll all be so glad to know that I've seen you—"

Lucy and Remus went around the room, saying their farewells. "Be safe," Lucy murmured in Harry's ear when she hugged him good-bye. She always said this to him, since she never knew when he, Hermione, and Ron would be leaving again.

When they were finished, Lucy followed Remus out into the wind again. Remus held out his hand, and Lucy took it. Remus spun, plunging them into that all-familiar darkness of Apparition.

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: First of all, the pure joy that Neville feels after his grandmother tells him she's proud of him and that he's his parents' son is one of my favorite things.**_

_**Secondly, I'm not sure how many people were living in the Room of Requirement in the actual book versus how many people spent time in the room but still went to classes and stuff. I've simplified it by saying that everyone who escaped to the room stopped going to classes and whatnot.**_

_**I am actually really proud of the second half of this chapter. Something important to note: Emmeline Vance is an actual character in the Harry Potter universe, but I believe she's supposed to be dead by this point. But I needed her, soooo she's alive!**_

_**The history of the Marauder's and Co is heavily inspired by a Marauder fanfiction called An Unexpected Attraction by thegingerhairedlass. It is probably the best Harry Potter fanfiction I have ever read. It's 101 chapters, but so so SO worth it, especially if you enjoy Marauder era fics. Last I checked, it's not marked as Complete, but I'm 99% sure it's finished.**_


	20. 17: The Trio Return

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 17 – The Trio Return**

There was a lot of commotion on the evening of May first in the Room of Requirement. A sixth-year boy named Atticus Steadman—a friend of Colin Creevey's—had shown up with news—news about Harry.

"They're saying that he broke into Gringotts tonight, and escaped on a dragon!" Atticus was saying excitedly.

Lucy frowned, feeling speculative. She wasn't sure why Harry, Ron, and Hermione would have gone to Gringotts—then again, they hadn't told her what their next move was, so that their plans couldn't be tortured out of her. Although, that did explain why they had been spending so much time with Griphook at Shell Cottage—he was a goblin, and probably had extensive knowledge about Gringotts.

"Are you sure?" Colin asked his friend.

"Oh, yeah," Atticus replied. "Jim Cohen got beaten up at dinner by Carrow, because he was shouting about it in the Great Hall. Everyone's heard about it by now."

Nearly everybody in the room turned to Lucy, the same question in their eyes.

"I don't know anything," Lucy said immediately. "I don't know why Harry would break into Gringotts, but if he was able to escape, then I'm glad."

"But on a _dragon_!" Atticus exclaimed again. "How cool is that?"

**~LJ:TW~**

"LUCY!"

Lucy, startled, pulled away from Jeremy. They were sitting in their bedroom, and they had just been engaged in a rather passionate make out session, when someone had started banging on the door. Lucy checked her watch; it was getting quite late.

"LUCY, ARIANNA IS HERE!" Neville yelled through the door. "ABERFORTH HAS A MESSAGE FOR US!"

"Okay, okay—stop shouting," Lucy said. She sighed, leaned forward, and kissed Jeremy once more. "We'll continue this later," she whispered against his lips.

Jeremy grinned wickedly. "We'd better."

Lucy stood up and stretched before opening the door and finding herself face to face with Neville. "What's got you so worked up, Nev?" she asked him.

"Aberforth never calls for us," Neville pointed out. "What if something's happened? What if Harry's come back?"

"Why would you think that Harry would come back here?" Lucy questioned with a frown. She had noticed that Neville had been recently talking quite a lot about Harry returning, and she was worried that the members of Dumbledore's Army were being set up for disappointment.

"Well, I don't know," Neville admitted. "It's just an idea. But we should go see what Aberforth wants—you know that he can be a bit of an impatient man."

They had reached the main sitting room area, where most of the students were lounging around. They all looked at Lucy and Neville eagerly, because it really was unusual for Aberforth to send them a message. Lucy glanced up, seeing that Arianna was indeed in the portrait above the fireplace. She raised her hand and beckoned Lucy and Neville to follow her.

So, Lucy and Neville climbed up the ladder and headed down the tunnel.

"Look, I don't want you to get your hopes up, Neville," Lucy warned as they walked. "I don't know why Harry would come back to Hogwarts now, anyway. You know they've been on a secret mission for Dumbledore to try and bring down You-Know-Who."

"Maybe he's come to help us fight," Neville suggested with a shrug. "I just have a feeling in my gut, Lucy."

They were quiet for the rest of the journey, and when they reached Arianna's other portrait, Lucy pushed it forward.

There, standing in the middle of Aberforth's sitting room, were Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Neville let out a whoop of excitement, jumping down into the room. "I knew you'd come!" he shouted. "_I knew it, Harry_!"

Lucy couldn't help the grin that grew on her face, but it immediately slipped away. _What were they doing here_?

"Neville—what the—how—?" Harry stammered as Neville gave him a giant bear hug.

Neville didn't answer him, moving on to enthusiastically greet Ron and Hermione, as well.

"What's happened?" Lucy asked, staring at her brother. "Why are you _here_?"

"There's one in the castle," Harry replied in a low voice, and Lucy knew that he meant there was a Horcrux somewhere in Hogwarts. "And he knows—knows what we've been doing."

Lucy gasped. "That means he could be coming _here_?"

Harry nodded.

"I knew you'd come!" Neville exclaimed when he'd finished hugging Hermione. "Kept telling Seamus it was only a matter of time!"

"Neville, what's happened to you?" Ron asked.

Neville was still sporting a lot of injuries from before he'd hidden in the Room of Requirement. Lucy hardly even noticed them anymore, having grown used to seeing many of the Dumbledore's Army students with gashes and bruises.

"What? This?" Neville shook his head. "This is nothing; Seamus is worse—you'll see. Shall we get going, then? Oh, Ab—there might be a couple more people on the way."

"Couple more?" Aberforth asked as Lucy whipped her head around to stare at Neville. "What d'you mean, a couple more, Longbottom? There's a curfew, and a Caterwauling Charm on the whole village!"

"I know," Neville said evenly. "That's why they'll be Apparating directly into the bar. Just send them down the passage when they get here, will you? Thanks a lot."

"Who the hell did you call?" Lucy demanded. "And why didn't you tell me?"

"I only just called them," Neville said, flashing his Dumbledore's Army coin in her direction, and Lucy rolled her eyes.

Instead of responding, she climbed up into the passage and then stuck her hand back to help haul Hermione up behind her. Lucy hugged Hermione first, and then Ron when he'd followed her. Neville climbed up next, and Harry made to follow but paused, looking back at Aberforth.

"I don't know how to thank you," he said. "You've saved our lives twice."

"Look after 'em, then," Aberforth grunted. "I might not be able to save 'em a third time."

Harry then joined the others in the passage, and Arianna's portrait closed behind them. Lucy gave her brother a hug, and they all started back down to the Room of Requirement.

"How long's this been here?" Ron asked. "It isn't on the Marauder's Map, is it, Harry? I thought there were only seven passages in and out of school?"

"They sealed off all of those before the start of the year," Neville explained. "There's no chance of getting through any of them now—not with curses over the entrances and Death Eaters and dementors waiting at the exits."

"This passage has been here since about mid-September," Lucy added. "It's the only secret way in and out of the school now."

"Never mind that stuff," Neville said, waving a hand dismissively. "Is it true? Did you break into Gringotts? Did you escape on a dragon? It's everywhere—everyone's talking about it—one of Colin Creevey's friends came by and told us that Jim Cohen got beaten up by Carrow for yelling about it in the Great Hall at dinner!"

"Yeah, it's true," Harry answered.

Neville laughed and asked, "What did you do with the dragon?"

"Released it into the wild," Ron replied. "Hermione was all for keeping it as a pet—"

"Don't exaggerate, Ron," Hermione groaned.

"What the hell were you doing at Gringotts?" Lucy cut in. "Surely there wasn't one there—?" She stopped as Harry nodded gravely.

"But what have you been doing?" Neville questioned. "People have been saying you've just been on the run, Harry, but Lucy says you've been on a secret mission from Dumbledore—"

Harry glared at his sister, who put her hands up in mock surrender. "I had to tell them something," she insisted. "They didn't know anything other than that, I swear."

"Tell us about Hogwarts, Neville," Harry requested. He and the others had heard things from Lucy when they'd seen her at Shell Cottage, but Neville would be able to give them a better overview than she could. "We haven't heard very much; just what Lucy has been able to tell us."

"It's been… well, it's not really like Hogwarts anymore," Neville said. "Do you know about the Carrows?"

"Those two Death Eaters who teach here?" Harry clarified. "Yeah, Lucy's told us some."

Lucy winced. She had mentioned some things about the Carrows to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but she'd left out the more severe incidents. She knew it would only make Harry upset, and he needed to be focused on his Horcrux hunt.

"They do more than teach," Neville said. "They're in charge of discipline. They like punishment, the Carrows."

"Like Umbridge?" Hermione asked.

"Nah, they make her look tame," Neville snorted. "The other teachers are supposed to refer us to the Carrows if we do anything wrong. They don't, though, if they can avoid it. You can tell they all hate them as much as we do. Amycus—the bloke—he teaches what used to be Defense Against the Dark Arts, except now it's just the Dark Arts. We're supposed to practice the Cruciatus Curse on people who've earned detentions—"

"_What_?" Harry, Ron, and Hermione all yelped.

"Yeah," Neville said nonchalantly. "That's how I got this one—" He pointed to the slash on his cheek. "I refused to do it. Some people are into it, though. Crabbe and Goyle love it—first time they've ever been top in anything, I expect."

"All those budding Death Eaters are loving it," Lucy said with a scowl.

"Alecto, Amycus's sister, teaches Muggle Studies, which is compulsory for everyone," Neville continued. "We've all got to listen to her explain how Muggles are like animals—stupid and dirty—and how they drove wizards into hiding by being vicious toward them—and how the natural order is being reestablished. I got this one—" He poked at another gash on his face. "—for asking her how much Muggle blood she and her brother have got."

"Blimey, Neville," Ron gasped, "there's a time and a place for getting a smart mouth."

"You didn't hear her," Neville insisted. "You wouldn't have stood it, either. The thing is, it helps when people stand up to them—it gives everyone hope. I used to notice it when you did it, Harry."

"But they've used you as a fucking knife sharpener, mate," Ron commented.

"Doesn't matter," Neville replied with a shrug. "They don't want to spill too much pure blood, so they'll torture us a bit if we're mouthy, but they won't actually kill us."

Lucy saw Harry flinch at how casually Neville spoke about being tortured and killed.

"The only people in real danger are the ones whose friends and relatives on the outside are giving trouble," Neville went on. "They get taken hostage. Old Xeno Lovegood was getting a bit too outspoken in _The Quibbler_, so they dragged Luna off the train on the way back for Christmas."

"Neville, she's all right," Hermione was quick to reassure him. "We've seen her—"

"Yeah, I know," Neville said with a nod. "Lucy told me about it, and Luna managed to get a message to me." He pulled his Dumbledore's Army coin out of his pocket—they had all gotten used to carrying them around and using them again. "These have been great," Neville said. "The Carrows never rumbled how we were communicating—it drove them _mad_. We used to sneak out at night and put graffiti on the walls: _Dumbledore's Army, Still Recruiting_ and stuff like that. Snape _hated_ it."

"You _used to_?" Harry echoed.

"Well, it got more difficult as time went on," Neville explained. "We lost Luna at Christmas, Ginny never came back after Easter, and Jeremy had to go into hiding at the same time, 'cause his own father was going to kidnap him—that left just me, Sally-Anne, and Seamus, and we had been in charge of coordinating stunts like that. The Carrows seemed to think that I was behind a lot of it, so they started coming down on me hard—although I'm glad they seemed to be targeting me for the most part, and leaving the others alone—but then Michael Corner went and got caught releasing a first-year they'd chain up, and they tortured him pretty badly. That scared people off."

"Except Daphne," Lucy added, chuckling at the memory of her friend practically spitting fire and wanting to get revenge on the Carrows somehow.

"Yeah, well, I couldn't ask people to go through what Michael did, so we dropped those kinds of stunts," Neville went on. "But we were still fighting, doing underground stuff, right up until a couple weeks ago. That's when they decided there was only one way to stop me, I suppose, and they went for Gran."

"They _what_?" Harry, Ron, and Hermione gasped.

"Yeah, well, you can see their thinking," Neville said. "It had worked really well, kidnapping kids to force their relatives to behave—I s'ppose it was only a matter of time before they did it the other way 'round." A smile grew on Neville's face as he continued his tale, "Thing was, they bit off more than they could chew with Gran. Little old witch, living alone—they probably thought they didn't need to send anyone particularly powerful." Neville laughed. "Anyway, Dawlish is still in St. Mungo's, and Gran's on the run. She sent me a letter, telling me she was proud of me, that I'm my parents' son, and to keep it up."

"Cool," Ron said lamely; Harry and Hermione seemed stunned into silence.

"Yeah," Neville said. "Only thing was, once they realized they had no hold over me, they decided Hogwarts could do without me, after all. I don't know whether they were planning to kill me or send me to Azkaban—either way, I knew it was time to disappear."

"But aren't—aren't we headed straight back to Hogwarts?" Ron said.

"Of course," Lucy spoke up. "You'll see; we're here."

They had reached Arianna's other portrait.

Neville, who was at the front of the line, pushed it open. Then he yelled down into the room, "Look who it is! Didn't I tell you?"

There were shouts and yells of excitement as they all watched Hermione, Ron, and Harry climb down from the fireplace. Lucy smirked as she hurried down the ladder behind them. The Muggleborns and Dumbledore's Army students rushed forward—they all grabbed at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, passing them around the crowd.

"Okay, okay—calm down!" Neville called over everyone's heads. He and Lucy stood in front of the fireplace, and they exchanged grins as the crowd backed off, giving Harry, Ron, and Hermione some breathing room.

"Where are we?" Harry asked, looking around the room.

"The Room of Requirement, of course!" Lucy said. "I told you that I was here, didn't I?"

"Surpassed itself, hasn't it?" Neville commented. "We were thinking about a place to hide a bunch of Muggleborns, and this was the first room that came to mind. We had to test it for days to make sure that the Carrows and Snape wouldn't be able to get in, but this is how it ended up—oh, except for all the hammocks—those are relatively new."

"The Carrows really can't get in?" Harry asked.

"No," Seamus said, stepping forward. "It's a proper hideout. As long as one of us stays in here—which, thanks to Lucy and the others who have been living in here, there's always someone in here—they can't get at us—the door won't open. It's all down to Neville; he really _gets_ this room. You've got to ask it for _exactly_ what you need—like, _I don't want any Carrow supporters to be able to get in_—and it'll do it for you! You've just got to make sure you close the loopholes. Neville's the man!"

"It's quite straightforward, really," Neville said with a shrug. "We were just putting the finishing touches on it when we started thinking about how we were going to get them all here, and that's when the passage to the Hog's Head opened up. We went through and met Aberforth. He's the one who set us up with Dobby to get us food, because for some reason, that's the one thing the room doesn't really do."

"Yeah, well, food's one of the five exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration," Ron informed them, and Lucy and the others stared at him for a moment.

"Anyway, it was going really well, because the Muggleborns were able to practice and study magic without being found, and we continued to use this place as a meeting room for Dumbledore's Army," Lucy went on. "But then Jeremy had to go into hiding, so he came here instead of getting back on the train after Easter. After that, Neville showed up, needing a place to hide—and then others started moving in, too—and the room keeps popping up extra hammocks whenever a new person shows up."

"Tell us what you've been up to, though," Ernie Macmillan piped up from the crowd. "There've been so many rumors—we've been trying to keep up with you on _Potterwatch_." He gestured to the radio in the room. "You didn't break into Gringotts?"

"They did!" Neville said gleefully. "And the dragon's true, too!"

"What were you after?" Seamus asked.

Suddenly, Harry wheeled around so his back was facing most everyone in the room. He swayed dangerously on his feet, and Lucy lunged forward to grab one of his arms, while Ron took the other. They held Harry up as he blinked and panted, sweat trickling down his face.

"Are you all right, Harry?" Neville asked. "Want to sit down? I expect you're tired, aren't—?"

"No," Harry said. He looked at Lucy, Ron, and then Hermione, and Lucy recognized that gleam in his eye. "We need to get going," he added.

Ron and Hermione nodded.

"What are we going to do, then, Harry?" Seamus asked. "What's the plan?"

"Plan?" Harry echoed, confused. "Well, there's something we—Ron, Hermione, and I—need to do, and they we'll get out of here."

Everyone was quiet, except for Neville, who asked, "What d'you mean, _get out of here_?"

"We haven't come back to stay," Harry said. "There's something important we need to do—"

"What is it?" Neville pressed, and Lucy shook her head at him to shut him up.

"I—I can't tell you," Harry said.

Neville frowned. "Why can't you tell us? It's something to do with fighting You-Know-Who, right?"

Lucy stepped in then, saying, "Neville, I told you—"

"No, we want to help," Neville insisted.

"You don't understand," Harry said. "We—we can't tell you. We've got to do it—alone."

_"Why?"_ Neville asked.

"Because…" Harry looked desperately at Lucy, who shrugged. "Dumbledore left the three of us a job," Harry began, "and we weren't supposed to tell—I mean, he wanted us to do it, just the three of us."

"We're his army," Neville retorted. "Dumbledore's Army. We were all in it together—we've been keeping it going while you three have been off on your own—"

"It hasn't exactly been a picnic, mate," Ron cut in.

"I never said it had, but I don't see why you can't trust us," Neville said. "Half the people in this room have been chased into hiding, but they've been practicing hard. The other half have been fighting and were driven in here because the Carrows were hunting them down. Everyone in here's proven they're loyal to Dumbledore—loyal to _you_."

Lucy could see that Harry was conflicted, but before he could continue arguing, the painting above the fireplace swung open.

"We got your message, Neville!" Luna Lovegood had emerged from the tunnel, with Dean Thomas following her. "Hello, you three. I thought you must be here!"

Seamus cried out in happiness, running to hug Dean. Lucy had told Seamus that she'd seen Dean and that he was safe, but she figured that Seamus wouldn't fully believe her until he had seen Dean for himself.

"Hi, everyone!" Luna said. "Oh, it's great to be back!"

"Luna, what are you _doing_ here?" Harry asked. "How did—?"

"I sent for her," Neville said proudly, holding up his Dumbledore's Army coin. "I promised her and Ginny that if you turned up, I'd let them know. We all thought that if you came back, it would mean revolution. That we were going to overthrow Snape and the Carrows."

"Of course that's what it means," Luna agreed. "Isn't it, Harry? We're going to fight them out of Hogwarts."

Lucy felt bad as she saw the panicked look on Harry's face; she shouldn't have let them all get their hopes up that when Harry returned, they would be able to fight. So, she spoke for her brother, "Listen, that's not why they came back here. There's something they have to do in the castle, and then—"

"You're going to leave us in this mess?" Michael Corner finished angrily.

"No!" Ron snapped. "What we're doing will benefit everyone in the end. It's all about trying to get rid of You-Know-Who—"

"Then let us help!" Neville shot back. "We _want_ to be a part of it!"

Arianna's portrait opened once more, and this time it was Ginny, Fred, George, and Lee climbing into the room.

"Aberforth's getting a bit annoyed," Fred announced. "He wants a kip, and his bar's turned into a railway station."

"He's such a grump," Lucy said with a shake of her head. There was a smile tugging on the corners of her mouth.

Next through the passage came Cho Chang, Harry's ex-girlfriend. She smiled and said, "I got the message." Her Dumbledore's Army coin was clenched in her fist. She walked over to join Michael Corner and some of the other Ravenclaws.

"So, what's the plan, Harry?" George asked eagerly.

"There _isn't_ one," Harry said.

"Just going to make it up as we go along, are we?" Fred quipped. "My favorite kind."

"You've got to stop this!" Harry barked at Neville. "What did you call them all back for? This is insane—"

"We're fighting, aren't we?" Dean said, also pulling out his Dumbledore's Army coin. "The message said Harry was back, and we were going to fight! I'll have to get a wand, though—"

"You haven't got a _wand_—?" Seamus asked.

Lucy looked at Harry, noticing that he was still overwhelmed. "Harry," she said, and he turned to her. "Why can't we help?"

"What?" Harry asked.

"We can help," Lucy insisted.

"Lucy's right," Ron murmured so only Lucy, Harry, and Hermione could hear him, bobbing his head. "We don't know where it is. We've got to find it fast. We don't have to tell them it's a Horcrux."

"Besides, you're going to need someone to distract the Carrows, Snape, and the other Death Eaters that are around here," Lucy went on.

Harry hissed, "You're asking me to ask _them_ to possibly risk their lives—!"

"They know what they've signed up for, Harry!" Lucy said firmly. "Nearly everyone in this room is stuck here, anyway; at least let them fight for their right to be free."

"I think they're right," Hermione spoke up. "We don't even know what we're looking for—we need them."

Lucy looked Harry in the eye and repeated to him something she'd said two years earlier: "Maybe we don't have to do this all on our own this time."

Harry thought about it for a few moments; everyone else around them were watching them expectantly. "All right," Harry breathed. Then he turned to the room and said, "Okay."

Everyone stopped what they were doing; Lucy swore that some people even stopped breathing.

"There's something we need to find," Harry began. "Something—something that'll help us overthrow You-Know-Who. It's here at Hogwarts, but we don't know where. It might have belonged to Ravenclaw. Has anyone heard of an object like that? Has anyone ever come across something with her eagle on it, for instance?"

"Well, there's her lost diadem," Luna spoke up. "I told you about it, remember, Harry? The lost diadem of Ravenclaw—Daddy's trying to duplicate it."

"Yeah, but the lost diadem is _lost_, Luna," Michael said. "That's sort of the point."

"When was it lost?" Harry asked.

"Centuries ago, they say," Cho said. "Professor Flitwick says the diadem vanished with Ravenclaw herself. People have looked, but nobody's ever found a trace of it—have they?" She looked to her fellow Ravenclaws, who all shook their heads.

"Sorry, but what _is_ a diadem?" Ron cut in.

"It's a kind of crown," Terry Boot answered. "Ravenclaw's was supposed to have magical properties—enhance the wisdom of the wearer and what have you."

Luna said, "Yes, Daddy's Wrackspurt siphons—"

"And none of you have ever seen anything that looks like it?" Harry asked desperately, interrupting Luna.

The Ravenclaws shook their heads again, and Harry looked disappointed. He glanced at Lucy, Ron, and Hermione. His expression showed that he didn't know what to do next.

"If you'd like to see what the diadem's supposed to look like, I could take you up to our common room and show you, Harry," Cho offered. "Ravenclaw's wearing it in her statue."

Harry winced again, and after a moment he whispered to Lucy, Ron, and Hermione, "He's on the move." Then he looked at Cho again before going on, "Listen, I know it's not much of a lead, but I'm going to go and look at this statue—at least find out what the diadem looks like. Wait for me here and keep—you know—the _other one_—safe."

Cho stood up, but Ginny growled, "No, Luna will take Harry, won't you, Luna?"

Lucy tried not to smile at what was clearly Ginny's jealousy.

"Ooooh, yes, I'd like to," Luna agreed, and Cho returned to her seat, looking sullen.

"How do we get out?" Harry asked Lucy.

"Over there," Lucy replied, pointing towards the exit corridor. She and Luna led Harry over to it. "It comes out somewhere different every day, so they've never been able to find it," Lucy explained. "Only trouble is, when someone leaves, they never know exactly where they're going to end up. Be careful, Harry—they're always patrolling the corridors at night."

"No problem," Harry said. "See you in a bit."

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: We have reached the Battle of Hogwarts and essentially the climax of the series. Buckle up!**_


	21. 18: Preparations

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 18 – Preparations**

Lucy went back to the group, feeling a little overwhelmed at the turn of events. There was a very real possibility that Voldemort was coming to the castle that night—meaning that this was a much bigger fight than just overthrowing Snape and the Carrows.

"Is everything all right?" Jeremy asked, coming up to her.

Lucy looked around, seeing Sally-Anne eavesdropping nearby. Lucy beckoned her over, and when she joined them, Lucy whispered, "You-Know-Who might be coming tonight."

Jeremy and Sally-Anne exchanged startled looks, and Sally-Anne said, "So you're saying that this could be a much bigger battle."

"I'm saying this could be one of the biggest battles in the war so far," Lucy confirmed. "And if that's the case, we need more fighters—more adults, specifically. Because if it comes down to it, everyone who's underage will need to get out; they shouldn't be involved in this if we can help it."

"You're talking about almost the whole school," Jeremy said.

"Yes, well, we'll get to that later," Lucy sighed. "We need to get in contact with the Order. They need to be told what's happening."

"How are you going to do that?" Sally-Anne asked.

"Fred or George," Lucy said with a shrug. "They'll be able to get the message out. And I think we'd better let them know that there's a possibility that You-Know-Who will be here, but we should _not_ tell Dumbledore's Army just yet."

"Sounds good," Sally-Anne said with a nod. "I'll distract the others, so you can talk to Fred and George."

"Thanks," Lucy said gratefully.

The three of them walked casually over to where Fred and George were sitting. The only person with them at the moment was Lee, and Sally-Anne swooped down on him to ask him about _Potterwatch_, leaving Lucy with her opportunity.

"Fred—George," she said quietly. "We need to contact the Order and get them here. There's a chance that You-Know-Who will be coming to the school tonight."

Fred and George exchanged confused and concerned looks. "How do you know?" Fred asked.

"Harry," Lucy replied simply. "We need more fighters here if it comes down to a battle—preferably adults, who have some experience in this sort of thing. We need to contact them and let them know what's happening, but we need to keep it from Dumbledore's Army for now. We don't want to scare them."

"I'm on it," Fred said, hopping up from his chair and waving his wand to send a Patronus.

"Harry really reckons You-Know-Who will come here?" George asked.

"Yes," Lucy answered with a nod. "You know he has that weird connection with You-Know-Who; he's seen him."

"But why would he come _here_?" George pressed.

"I don't know all the details," Lucy replied, "and the ones I _do_ know, I've sworn not to tell anyone."

"Messages sent," Fred said, rejoining his twin and Lucy. "Now we just wait to see who shows up."

**~LJ:TW~**

It didn't take long for the Order of the Phoenix to answer the call. Kingsley was the first to show up, followed closely by Bill and Fleur. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley showed up a moment later, joining their eldest son and his wife. Emmeline Vance and a few other Order members that Lucy didn't know well appeared next—Emmeline sent a wink to Lucy. Next was Sally-Anne's older sister Becky with a few of the younger Order members; among them, to Lucy's surprise, was Oliver Wood, the former Gryffindor Quidditch Captain and Keeper.

Following them were Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, and Katie Bell—they had all been on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, as well, during their time at Hogwarts. Angelina ran across the room to Fred, who embraced her tightly, while George and Lee greeted Alicia and Katie.

Remus was next, which alarmed Lucy. She hurried over to him. "Why are you here?" she demanded. "You should be at _home_, with Tonks and Teddy!"

"What do you mean?" Remus asked. "I need to be here—I still have a duty to the Order—"

"Okay, and what if something bad happens tonight?" Lucy asked.

"I'm doing this to try and make a better world for my son to grow up in," Remus insisted. "Besides, I'm not planning on going down easily, and if I do, he'll still have his mother."

Lucy sighed. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm just worried about Tonks and Teddy—I don't want them losing their husband and father. But they're your family, and you know what's best for them."

"You're my family, too, Lucy," Remus said gently. "I'm not going to get upset over you being concerned for my well-being."

They could hear footsteps coming down the entrance corridor, and everyone turned towards it. Harry and Luna had returned, and they stopped short when they noticed that the amount of people in the room had increased considerably.

"Harry, what's happening?" Remus requested, stepping forward. He was followed by Lucy and the rest of the Weasleys.

"Voldemort's on his way," Harry said, and there were many gasps around him from the Dumbledore's Army students. "They're barricading the school—Snape's run for it. What are you doing here? How did you know?"

"I asked Fred and George to send a message to the Order," Lucy answered. "If this was going to get serious, I figured we should get some fighters here to help us out."

"What first, Harry?" George asked. "What's going on?"

"They're evacuating the younger kids through the Hog's Head, and everyone's meeting in the Great Hall to get organized," Harry replied. "We're fighting."

There were many shouts and cheers of approval, and people started moving towards the exit of the Room of Requirement.

Lucy flagged down the Muggleborn students, gathering them around her. She took a deep breath before saying, "If you're underage, you can't stay and fight. You're going to have to leave with the other students." There was a flurry of arguments from the Muggleborns, but Lucy put her hand up to stop them. "It's not my decision to make. They're going to send _all_ the under-aged students home. You _need_ to get out—you need to do whatever the teachers—or whoever is in charge of the evacuation—say." She glanced over and said, "Justin and Roger, you two can obviously stay, since you're of-age—"

"I'm staying, too!" Colin stated boldly.

Lucy shook her head; she knew that he'd give her trouble after she told them they'd have to leave. "Colin, you can't," she said. "You're only sixteen; all the other sixteen-year-olds will have to leave, too."

"I can't leave!" Colin insisted. "I have to stay here and help. I'm nearly seventeen—"

"But you're _not_," Lucy said firmly. "You're not an adult yet. I know it sucks—trust me, I _know_—but please—_please,_ you have to do this. Do it for me—do it for your brother. You have to keep an eye on everyone here for me, okay? Keep everyone together when you evacuate."

"Do we evacuate now, or—?" Kim Howell spoke up.

"Stay here, in the Room of Requirement," Lucy answered. "They'll be bringing the rest of the students through here, and you'll be exiting out to the Hog's Head. I'm not sure what the details are from there, but I'm assuming someone will be in charge of the evacuation."

Nobody else had any other questions, although a few of them were scowling at the fact that they had to leave. Roger and Justin hovered at the exit corridor with Jeremy, and Lucy waved at them to go up to the Great Hall without her. Once they'd vanished down the corridor, Lucy turned towards the Weasleys and Remus, which was the only other group left in the room.

"I'm not going home!" Ginny snarled at her mother, as Harry appeared next to Lucy.

"You're underage!" Mrs. Weasley yelled. "I won't permit it! The boys, yes—but you—you've got to go home!"

"I won't!" Ginny shouted. She pulled her arm out of Mrs. Weasley's grasp as she went on, "I'm in Dumbledore's Army—"

"A teenagers' gang!" Mrs. Weasley scoffed.

"A teenagers' gang that's about to take him on, which no one else has dared to do!" Fred stepped in.

"She's sixteen!" Mrs. Weasley insisted. "She's not old enough! _What_ you two were thinking, bringing her with you—!"

"Mum's right, Ginny," Bill said. "You can't do this. Everyone underage will have to leave—it's only right."

"I can't go home!" Ginny cried, and Lucy could see that her eyes looked watery. "My whole family's here! I can't stand waiting there alone and not knowing and—" She turned her head sharply to look at Harry, as though hoping he'd vouch for her.

Harry slowly shook his head, and Lucy knew why. He didn't want her here—didn't want her in danger.

"Fine," Ginny croaked, looking back towards the Hog's Head tunnel. "I'll say good-bye now, then, and—"

She stopped suddenly as they watched someone tumble out of the tunnel. He righted himself, using a chair to help himself up, and Lucy couldn't help the gasp that came out of her throat.

"Am I too late? Has it started?" Percy Weasley asked, looking wildly around the room. "I only just found out, so I—I—" He stuttered into silence as he realized that almost his entire family was standing there, gawking at him.

"So—'ow eez leetle Teddy?" Fleur asked Remus, trying awkwardly to break the silence.

"I—oh, yes—he's fine!" Remus said. "Yes, Dora is with him—at our house—"

Their conversation stalled as Percy and the rest of the Weasleys continued to stare at each other.

"Here, I've got a picture!" Remus added, pulling out a photograph and showing it to Fleur.

"I was a fool!" Percy shouted suddenly, surprisingly them all even more. "I was an idiot! I was a pompous prat! I was a—a—!"

"Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron," Fred suggested.

"Yes, I was!" Percy agreed sorrowfully.

"Well, you can't say fairer than that," Fred said, and he offered Percy his hand to shake.

Before they could shake, however, Mrs. Weasley had started crying. She lunged forward, pushed Fred out of the way, and crushed Percy into her arms.

Percy patted his mother on the back, and then he looked up at Mr. Weasley. "I'm sorry, Dad," he said firmly, and Mr. Weasley hurried forward to embrace his son, as well.

"What made you see sense, Perce?" George asked.

"It's been coming for a while," Percy explained, trying to subtly wipe his own tears out of his eyes. "I had to find a way out, and it's not so easy at the Ministry. They're imprisoning traitors all the time, you know. I managed to make contact with Aberforth, and he tipped me off ten minutes ago that Hogwarts was going to make a fight of it—so here I am."

"Well, we do look to our prefects to take a lead at times such as these," George said, an undertone of mocking Percy from the past. "Now, let's get upstairs and fight, or all the good Death Eaters'll be taken."

Percy nodded, and he began following Fred, George, Bill, and Fleur out of the room. "So, you're my sister-in-law now?" he asked Fleur as they left.

"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley snapped, because Ginny had been trying to take the distraction of Percy's appearance as a chance to sneak out of the room.

"Molly, how about this?" Remus said. "Why doesn't Ginny stay here? Then at least she'll be on the scene and know what's going on, but she won't be in the middle of the fighting."

Mrs. Weasley started, "I—"

"That's a good idea," Mr. Weasley cut in before his wife could say anything. "Ginny, you stay in this room, you hear me?"

Ginny, though she was still scowling, nodded. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley left the room then, followed by Remus.

"Could I stay behind with Ginny, too?" Colin asked from where he was standing with the other Muggleborns.

"No," Lucy said sharply. "I told you, you need to watch over the others."

"Have any of you seen Ron or Hermione?" Harry spoked up, and Lucy shook her head; she hadn't even noticed that they were missing.

"They said something about a bathroom, not long after you left," Ginny said.

"A bathroom?" Harry repeated. "You're sure they said bath—?" He stopped suddenly, paling immediately and swaying on his feet.

Lucy surged forward to grab him as he dragged a breath into his lungs. "What is it, Harry?" she demanded.

"He's here," Harry whispered.

**~LJ:TW~**

Lucy and Harry made it down to the Great Hall to see that Professor McGonagall had already started speaking to the students. The teachers and the Order were standing at the front of the room behind the Transfiguration professor. Lucy and Harry hurried towards the front of the room, looking around the sea of people for Ron or Hermione.

"—evacuation will be overseen by Mr. Filch and Madam Pomfrey," Professor McGonagall was saying. "Prefects, when I give the word, you will organize your house and take your charges, in orderly fashion, to the evacuation point."

Ernie Macmillan, who had returned to the Hufflepuff table, stood up and asked loudly, "And what if we want to stay and fight?"

"If you are of-age, you may stay," Professor McGonagall stated; Lucy suspected that it had been very hard for the professor to say that.

"What about our things?" a girl from the Ravenclaw table asked next. "Our trunks, our owls?"

"We have no time to collect possessions," Professor McGonagall replied. "The important thing is to get you out of here safely."

"Where's Professor Snape?" a girl at the Slytherin table questioned.

"He has, to use the common phrase, done a bunk," Professor McGonagall answered, and there was a loud cheer of triumph that rose to the ceiling.

Harry continued up and down the hall, looking for Ron and Hermione, and Lucy trailed after him. She could hear the whispers around them when the other students noticed them.

"We have already placed protection around the castle, but it is unlikely to hold for very long unless we reinforce it," Professor McGonagall continued. "I must ask you, therefore, to move quickly and calmly, and do as your prefects—"

She was interrupted by another voice, which echoed across the hall. Lucy couldn't tell where it was coming from, which made her equally angry and frightened, because she was sure it was the voice of Voldemort. Screams erupted around the hall.

"_I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood._"

There was a pause, and Lucy could feel those around her holding their breath, anxious for the rest of the message.

"_Give me Harry Potter, and none shall be harmed_," Voldemort went on. "_Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight._"

The silence was deafening, and everyone turned to look at Harry. Lucy was practically vibrating with nerves, wondering if any of them were going to attempt to turn on Harry. A moment later, she got her answer.

"But he's there!" Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin and friend of Draco Malfoy, had stood up from the Slytherin table and was pointing at Harry. "Potter's _there_! Someone, grab him!"

Lucy immediately stepped in front of her brother, her wand out and pointed towards Pansy. She wasn't the only one who moved; students sitting at the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw tables stood up and pointed their wands at Pansy, as well. To Lucy's delight, even some of the Slytherins got up to defend Harry.

"Thank you, Miss Parkinson," Professor McGonagall said from the front of the room. "You will leave the hall first with Mr. Filch. The rest of your house may follow."

Pretty much all the Slytherins got up and filed out of the hall; there were three seventh-years—including Jeremy and Daphne—and four sixth-years who stayed behind. After the Slytherins went the Ravenclaws—many of them left, as well, but a few more stayed back. Even more Hufflepuffs stayed, and nearly half of the Gryffindors attempted to stay. Professor McGonagall moved along the Gryffindor table, shooing the under-aged students along with the rest of the evacuees.

"Have you seen Ron or Hermione?" Harry asked in a low voice.

Lucy looked over at him and shook her head. She'd forgotten to search for them while she'd been watching who was going and who was staying.

At the front of the room, Kingsley stepped up next, waving his arms for silence. "We've only got half an hour until midnight, so we need to act fast! A battle plan has been agreed upon between the teachers of Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix. Professors Flitwick, Sprout, and McGonagall are going to take groups of fighters up to the three highest towers—Ravenclaw, Astronomy, and Gryffindor—where they'll have a good overview—excellent positions from which to work spells. Meanwhile, Remus, Arthur, and I will take groups into the grounds." He pointed out Remus and Mr. Weasley, for those who didn't know whom he was speaking about. "We'll need somebody to organize defense of the entrances to the passageways into the school—"

"Sounds like a job for us," Fred spoke up, gesturing to his twin.

Kingsley nodded at them before saying, "All right—leaders up here, and we'll divide up the troops."

"Potter!" Professor McGonagall called over the students' heads. "_Aren't you supposed to be looking for something_?"

"What? Oh!" Harry exclaimed. "Oh, yeah!"

"Then go, Potter! Go!" Professor McGonagall insisted.

"Right—yeah," Harry said. Then he turned to Lucy and said, "Come with me. Please. I have no idea where Ron or Hermione went."

"Okay," Lucy agreed, and the two of them tore from the Great Hall.

**~LJ:TW~**

Lucy knew that Harry was getting anxious by the way he was running. They continued through a couple of corridors before Lucy reached out and grabbed Harry's arm, pulling him to a stop.

"Do you know what we're doing?" she asked him point blank.

Harry stared at her for a moment before shaking his head. "No. But—Voldemort thought that I'd go up to Ravenclaw Tower to start with. He'd even told one of the Carrows to be on the lookout for me in Ravenclaw's common room. That's why I think that the Horcrux was connected to that house somehow, and this lost diadem fits as an object that he'd want to conceal his soul inside."

"I'm with you so far," Lucy said with a nod, "except for the part about the _lost_ diadem."

"I know," Harry said, rubbing his temples with his fingers. "It hasn't been seen in living memory.…" He trailed off, staring at nothing as he thought, and Lucy waited patiently. "_Living_ memory. That's it! If Voldemort had gotten hold of it somehow, he had to have talked to someone who's _dead_!"

"You mean—maybe one of the ghosts?" Lucy asked.

"Maybe!" Harry said, sounding a little excited. "I think our best bet would be the Ravenclaw ghost—maybe she knew something about the diadem."

"How do you plan on finding the Ravenclaw ghost?" Lucy questioned.

Harry frowned in thought again. "I think I know who to ask—c'mon!"

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: I was never sure how the Order were alerted to come to Hogwarts before the battle, especially when nobody knew that there was going to be a battle.**_

_**Percy showing up for the battle almost made me scream the first time I read the book.**_

_**I dislike the idea that all the Slytherins left, so I had a couple of them stay. Not every Slytherin is the child of a Death Eater!**_


	22. 19: The Lost Diadem

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 19 – The Lost Diadem**

Harry ran back the way they had come, and Lucy followed him closely. When they reached the entrance hall, they could still see the line of students heading upstairs to the Room of Requirement to evacuate. There was lots of shouting and pushing as students were looking for their friends or family members.

Lucy didn't have time to think about this, however—Harry had just spotted the ghost he wanted to speak to.

"Nick! NICK!" Harry called. "I need to talk to you!"

Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington—otherwise known as Nearly Headless Nick—was the Gryffindor house ghost. He looked around and beamed as he saw Harry pushing through the crowd. "Harry! My dear boy!" he said when Lucy and Harry reached him. Nick tried to grab Harry's hand in a handshake, but of course, his hands went straight through Harry's.

"Nick, you've got to help me," Harry requested. "Who's the ghost of Ravenclaw Tower?"

"The Gray Lady, of course," Nick said, looking a bit confused. "But if it is ghostly services you require—"

"It's got to be her—d'you know where she is?" Harry pressed.

"Let's see…" Nick hummed as he glanced around the hall. "Ah, that's her over there, Harry—the young woman with the long hair."

Lucy and Harry turned to where Nick was pointing. The ghost saw them looking at her, raised her eyebrows, and disappeared through a wall.

"C'mon!" Harry said to his sister as he sprinted towards where the ghost had gone, with Lucy hot on his heels.

In the next corridor, they saw her at the end of the hall, still gliding away from them.

"Hey—wait—come back!" Harry called.

The Gray Lady stopped, to Lucy's surprise. She and Harry rushed up to her.

"You're the Gray Lady?" Harry asked, and the ghost nodded. "The ghost of Ravenclaw Tower?"

"That is correct," the Gray Lady said.

"Please, I need some help," Harry begged. "I need to know anything you can tell me about the lost diadem."

The Gray Lady smirked. "I am afraid that I cannot help you." She turned to leave.

"WAIT!" Lucy shouted, annoyed and desperate. She saw Harry check his watch out of the corner of her eye, and she knew they were running out of time.

"This is urgent," Harry insisted. "If that diadem's at Hogwarts, I've got to find it—fast."

"You are hardly the first student to covet the diadem," the Gray Lady scoffed. "Generations of students have badgered me—"

"This isn't about trying to get better marks!" Harry snapped. "It's about Voldemort—defeating Voldemort—or aren't you interested in that?"

The Gray Lady frowned as she answered, "Of course I—how _dare_ you suggest—?"

"Well, help us, then!" Lucy fired back.

"It—it is not a question of—" the Gray Lady stuttered. "My mother's diadem—"

"Your _mother's_?" Lucy and Harry repeated at the same time.

"When I lived, I was Helena Ravenclaw," the Gray Lady told them, looking upset with herself.

"You're her _daughter_?" Harry asked. "But then, you must know what happened to it!"

Helena took a moment to collect herself before beginning, "While the diadem bestows wisdom, I doubt that it would greatly increase your chances of defeating the wizard who calls himself Lord—"

"Haven't I just told you? I'm not interested in wearing it!" Harry cried. "There's no time to explain—but if you care about Hogwarts—if you want to see Voldemort finished—you've got to tell me anything you know about the diadem!"

There was silence for a moment while Helena pondered what Harry had said. Lucy sighed internally, looking at her brother; they were wasting time. Harry shook his head and motioned for Lucy to follow him.

"I stole the diadem from my mother," Helena said softly.

Lucy and Harry both turned back to the ghost, and Harry asked, "You—you did what?"

"_I stole the diadem_," Helena hissed. "I sought to make myself cleverer—more important than my mother. I ran away with it." She took a breath before continuing, "My mother, they say, never admitted that the diadem was gone, but pretended that she had it still. She concealed her loss, my dreadful betrayal, even from the other founders of Hogwarts."

Lucy listened with rapt attention, and she could see that Harry was doing the same.

"Then my mother fell ill—fatally ill," Helena went on. "In spite of my perfidy, she was desperate to see me one more time. She sent a man who had long loved me—though I spurned his advances—to find me. She knew that he would not rest until he had done so." She paused to take another breath. "He tracked me to the forest where I was hiding. When I refused to return with him, he became violent. The Baron was always a hot-tempered man. Furious at my refusal—jealous of my freedom—he stabbed me."

"The _Baron_?" Lucy echoed. "You mean—?"

"The Bloody Baron, yes," Helena confirmed. She lifted her cloak out of the way, so the Potter twins could see the wound in her chest. "When he saw what he had done, he was overcome with remorse. He took the weapon that had claimed my life and used it to kill himself. All these centuries later, he wears his chains as an act of penitence… as he should."

"And—and the diadem?" Harry pressed.

"It remained where I had hidden it when I heard the Baron blundering through the forest toward me," Helena answered. "Concealed inside a hollow tree."

"A hollow tree?" Harry repeated. "What tree? Where was this?"

"A forest in Albania," Helena replied. "A lonely place I thought was far beyond my mother's reach."

"Albania," Harry murmured, his eyebrows contracting. He glanced over at Lucy for a moment, a calculating look on his face, before turning back to the Gray Lady. "You've already told someone this story, haven't you? Another student?"

Helena nodded morosely. "I had—no idea," she muttered. "He was… flattering. He seemed to—to understand—to sympathize…"

"Well, you weren't the first person Riddle wormed things out of," Harry mumbled. "He could be charming when he wanted.…" He was still thinking when he suddenly burst out, "—the night he asked for a job!"

"I beg your pardon?" Helena asked, startled.

"He hid the diadem in the castle, the night he asked Dumbledore to let him teach!" Harry said. "He must've hidden the diadem on his way up to—or down from—Dumbledore's office! But it was still worth trying to get the job—then he might've got the chance to nick Gryffindor's sword, as well—thank you, thanks!"

Harry turned and started running again, and Lucy hurried after him.

**~LJ:TW~**

"The only problem I see is—how are we going to find out where he hid it?" Lucy asked as she and Harry jogged through the corridors. "This castle is huge. We don't have time to search it from top to bottom."

"I'm not sure—" A loud crash interrupted Harry, and a large figure came flying through the window to their left. "Hagrid!" Harry shouted.

It was indeed Hagrid, along with his boarhound Fang, who was currently jumping up at Lucy.

"Harry, yer here!" Hagrid cried. "_Yer here!_" He threw his arms around Harry and gave him a squeeze. After he'd finished hugging Harry, he turned and exclaimed, "Lucy!" He hugged her, as well. Then he went back to the window and shouted at someone outside, "Good boy, Grawpy! I'll see yeh in a mo'—there's a good lad!"

They heard a screaming in the distance, and Lucy immediately checked her watch; it was midnight. She shuddered, realizing that the battle had begun, and she wished hard that her friends and family would be safe.

"Blimey, Harry, this is it, eh?" Hagrid commented. "Time ter figh'?"

"Hagrid, where have you come from?" Harry asked.

"Heard You-Know-Who from up in our cave," Hagrid explained. "Voice carried, didn' it? _Yeh got 'til midnight ter gimme Potter. _Knew yeh mus' be here—knew wha' mus' be happenin'—get _down,_ Fang. So we've come ter join in—me an' Grawpy an' Fang. Smashed our way through the boundary by the forest—Grawpy was carryin' us—Fang an' me. Told 'im ter let me down at the castle, so he shoved me through the window, bless him. Not exac'ly wha' I meant, bu'—where's Ron an' Hermione?"

"_That_ is a really good question," Harry said. "C'mon." He led the way, and Lucy and Hagrid followed him.

"Where're we goin'?" Hagrid asked eventually.

"I dunno exactly," Harry admitted. "But Ron and Hermione must be around here somewhere.…"

They continued around a few corners before Harry skidded to a stop. Lucy and Hagrid stopped, as well, staring at Harry, whose eyes had glassed over in thought.

"What is it, Harry?" Lucy asked, but before Harry could answer her, Professor Sprout, Neville, and a handful of other students appeared.

"Mandrakes!" Neville announced as he held up the potted plant in his hands. He had a pair of earmuffs on, as did the others with him. "Going to lob them over the walls—they won't like this!"

Lucy, Harry, and Hagrid stared after them for only a moment before Harry said, "C'mon!" He tore off again, and Lucy and Hagrid thundered along after him.

Suddenly, there was a bang, and the entire castle shook. Lucy and Harry stopped, and Fang started howling and took off.

"It's all righ', Fang—it's all righ'!" Hagrid called, and he ran off after his dog.

"I know where we have to go!" Harry finally told Lucy. "Follow me—back to the Room of Requirement!"

They continued on, feeling tremors throughout the castle as the battle raged on. In the paintings on the walls, the occupants were running about, shouting updates at each other. Lucy attempted to shut their voices out; she didn't want to find out from a painting if someone she knew had been hurt or killed.

At one point, they stumbled upon Fred, Lee, and Hannah Abbott with a few other students, standing in front of one of the secret passageways. They were listening hard down the tunnel for any intruders.

"Nice night for it!" Fred quipped as Lucy and Harry rushed past them.

They continued on, getting closer to the Room of Requirement.

"Potter!" Aberforth had entered the castle, and he was holding his wand aloft. "I've had hundreds of kids thundering through my pub, Potter!"

"I know," Harry said. "We're evacuating. Voldemort's—"

"—attacking, because they haven't handed you over, yeah," Aberforth finished for him. "I'm not deaf; the whole of Hogsmeade heard him. And it never occurred to any of you to keep a few Slytherins hostage? There are kids of Death Eaters you've just sent to safety. Wouldn't it have been a bit smarter to keep 'em here?"

"Your brother would have never done it," Harry said firmly.

Aberforth only rolled his eyes and started off down the hall to join in the fighting. Lucy and Harry exchanged a look before running forward and around the corner—they had reached the corridor to get into the Room of Requirement. And that wasn't all they'd found.…

"Where the _hell_ have you been?" Harry yelled at Ron and Hermione, who were standing there.

"Chamber of Secrets," Ron answered simply. He had a broomstick under his arm, and both he and Hermione were carrying large, curved objects—Lucy couldn't tell what they were.

"Chamber—_what_?" Harry repeated.

"It was Ron—all Ron's idea!" Hermione said. "Wasn't it absolutely brilliant? There we were, after you left, and I said to Ron—_even if we find the other one, how are we going to get rid of it_? And we still hadn't got rid of the cup! And then he thought of it! The basilisk!"

"What the—?" Lucy asked blankly, a little annoyed at herself for being out of the loop.

"Something to get rid of Horcruxes," Ron told her.

"You mean—are those basilisk fangs?" Lucy asked, staring at the objects in Ron's and Hermione's arms. "You went into the Chamber of Secrets to get basilisk fangs to kill Horcruxes?"

Ron nodded.

"But how did you get in there?" Harry asked, bewildered. "You need to speak Parseltongue!"

"He did!" Hermione said. "Show him, Ron!"

Ron made some hissing and spitting noises, which did sound a bit like a snake to Lucy. "It's what you did to open the locket," Ron explained to Harry. "I had to have a few goes to get it right, but we got there in the end."

"He was _amazing_!" Hermione gushed. "Amazing!"

Harry stammered, "So—so—"

"So, we're another Horcrux down," Ron said with a grin. He pulled out from his jacket pocket the remains of what looked like some kind of cup. "Hermione stabbed it. Thought she should—she hadn't had the pleasure yet."

"Genius!" Harry shouted.

"It was nothing," Ron said, although he looked mightily pleased with himself. "So, what's new with you?"

There was another explosion from somewhere nearby, and they could hear faint screaming again. The knowledge that everyone else in the castle were fighting so that they could find the Horcrux sobered them all up.

"I know what the diadem looks like, and I know where it is," Harry said quickly. "He hid it exactly where I hid my old Potions book—where everyone's been hiding stuff for centuries. He thought he was the only one to find it. Come on."

He turned and went into the Room of Requirement—Lucy, Ron, and Hermione followed him. When they entered the main sitting room, they found Ginny, Tonks, and Augusta Longbottom standing next to each other.

"Ah, Lucy," Mrs. Longbottom greeted. "Nice to see you again."

"Likewise, Mrs. Longbottom," Lucy said with a respectful nod.

"Well, you four can tell us what's going on," Mrs. Longbottom said, looking between them expectantly.

"Is everyone okay?" Ginny and Tonks added.

"'S far as we know," Harry said. "Are there still people in the passage to the Hog's Head?"

"I was the last to come through," Mrs. Longbottom reported. "I sealed it—I think it unwise to leave it open now Aberforth has left his pub. Have you seen my grandson?"

"He's fighting," Lucy answered.

"Naturally," Mrs. Longbottom said, smiling proudly. "Excuse me—I must go and assist him." And then she was sweeping past them and exiting the room.

Lucy turned to Tonks and stated, "I thought you were supposed to be with Teddy—at _home_."

Tonks looked anxious, and she wrung her hands. "I couldn't stand not knowing—Mum will look after him—have you seen Remus?"

"He was planning to lead a group of fighters into the grounds," Lucy answered, and Tonks attempted to pass her. Lucy put her hand up and said, "Are you absolutely sure about this?"

Tonks nodded, her eyes hardening. "I need to do this—for Teddy." Then she stepped past Lucy and disappeared down the corridor.

"Ginny," Harry said, addressing the only person left in the room, "I'm sorry, but we need you to leave, too. Just for a bit. Then you can come back in." Ginny grinned and ran for the exit corridor, and Harry yelled at her back, "And then you can come back in! _You've got to come back in_!"

"Good luck," Lucy scoffed. "Knowing her, she'll get herself as far away from here as possible."

Harry sighed, scrubbing his face with one of his hands.

"Hang on a moment!" Ron said. "We've forgotten someone!"

"Who?" Hermione asked.

"The house-elves," Ron replied. "They'll all be down in the kitchens, won't they?"

"You mean we ought to get them fighting?" Harry asked.

"No," Ron said with a shake of his head. "We should tell them to get out. We don't want any more Dobbies, do we? We can't order them to die for us—"

Suddenly, Hermione dropped the fangs in her arms, ran at Ron, and threw her arms around him. She pulled his mouth down to hers and kissed him hard. Ron dropped what was in his hands, as well, and lifted Hermione up as he responded to her embrace.

Lucy grinned and looked over at Harry, who seemed stunned. She chuckled at him; how could he not have noticed where his friends' relationship was headed?

"Is this the moment?" Harry squeaked, but Hermione and Ron continued as if nothing had happened. So Harry said loudly, "OY! There's a war going on here!"

Ron pulled away from Hermione and looked at his best friend. "I know, mate—so it's now or never, isn't it?"

"Never mind that—what about the Horcrux?" Harry insisted. "D'you think you could just—just hold it in until we've got the diadem?"

"Oh, calm _down_, Harry," Lucy sighed. Then she looked at Ron and Hermione and added, "He's right, though. We need to hurry up."

The four of them left the room again, and they watched the door to the Room of Requirement disappear. All around them, they could see that the fighting was getting worse. The castle continued to shake and shudder as the Death Eaters kept up their attempts to enter the school. They glanced out the window and saw that Grawp was stomping around outside on the grounds.

"Let's hope he steps on some of them!" Ron said.

"As long as it's not any of our lot!" Ginny and Tonks were down the corridor, shooting spells out the windows and into the Death Eaters below. Ginny sent an impressive jinx into a crowd trying to break into the castle.

"Good girl!" Aberforth had returned to the corridor; he was leading a group of students with him. "They look like they might be breaching the north battlements—they've brought giants of their own!"

Lucy's stomach dropped at that thought.

"Have you seen Remus?" Tonks asked Aberforth.

"He was dueling Dolohov," Aberforth replied. "Haven't seen him since!"

"Tonks," Lucy said steadily, noticing the woman's face draining of color. "Tonks, I'm sure he's okay—"

Tonks turned on her heel and ran off, in desperate search of her husband. Ginny turned to look at Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"They'll be all right," Harry said immediately. "Ginny, we'll be back in a moment. Just keep out of the way—keep safe. Come on!" he added to his friends.

They ran to the wall that concealed the entrance to the Room of Requirement. Harry walked quickly in front of it three times, thinking hard about what they needed the room to become. The door appeared, and Harry wrenched it open. Lucy, Ron, and Hermione followed him inside.

**~LJ:TW~**

As soon as the door had shut behind them, the noise coming from the battle was silenced. The room they found themselves in was huge: it seemed to go on forever, and the ceiling stretched high above them. All around them were piles of objects—some that had been hidden there for centuries.

"And he never realized _anyone_ could get in?" Ron asked.

"He thought he was the only one," Harry said. "Too bad for him, I've had to hide stuff in my time... This way," he added. "I think it's down here."

Harry led the way through the room. There were aisles up and down the room, but they weren't very straight; they twisted and turned around the mountains of objects.

"_Accio Diadem_!" Hermione said, her wand out. Nothing happened; Lucy wasn't sure if it was because they were trying to get a Horcrux, or if it was part of the magic of the room.

"Let's split up," Harry decided. "Look for a stone bust of an old man wearing a wig and a tiara. It's standing on a cupboard, and it's definitely somewhere near here.…"

Lucy, Ron, and Hermione did as they were told, walking down various aisles. Lucy was in awe of how much stuff was in the room. Books, furniture, broomsticks, clothes… anything and everything that a student would have felt the need to hide.

Then she heard someone say, "Hold it, Potter." She knew that voice. It was Draco Malfoy. _What was he still doing here?_ Lucy wondered if he had decided to stay and fight—with the Death Eaters.

Lucy knew that Harry was in the aisle adjacent to hers. She scaled the objects in between her and Harry, and she found enough of a space that she could squeeze through. Pushing through carefully, so as not to disturb any of the objects and send the pile crashing on top of her, she emerged behind Harry and whipped her wand out.

"Oh, and Jones is here, too," Malfoy drawled, his friends Crabbe and Goyle standing with him. "Two Potters for the Dark Lord; he'll definitely be pleased." His lips curled into a sneer as he added, "That's my wand you're holding, Potter."

"Not anymore," Harry taunted. "Winners, keepers, Malfoy. Who's lent you theirs?"

"My mother," Malfoy replied.

Harry laughed, but Lucy could hear the anxiety in his tone. "So, how come you three aren't with Voldemort?" he asked.

"We're gonna be rewarded," Crabbe said—Lucy was taken aback; she could count the times she'd heard Crabbe speak on one hand. "We 'ung back, Potter. We decided not to go—decided to bring you to 'im."

"Good plan," Harry said mockingly. He shuffled forward, and Lucy looked at where he was heading. Sure enough, the bust he had described to his friends was there, with a wig and tiara on top. "So, how did you get in here?" Harry asked.

"I virtually lived in the Room of Hidden Things all last year," Malfoy replied. "I know how to get in."

"We was hiding in the corridor outside," Goyle explained. "We can do Diss-lusion Charms now! And then you turned up right in front of us and said you was looking for a die-dum. What's a die-dum?"

"Harry?" Ron called suddenly. "Are you talking to someone?"

Crabbe turned quickly, his wand already whipping towards one of the mountains of objects as he cried, "_Descendo_!"

"Ron!" Harry yelled as Hermione let out a scream.

Lucy, whose wand was already in her hand, pointed at the wall and shouted, "_Finite_!"

"No!" Malfoy was yelling, grabbing Crabbe by the arm. "If you wreck the room, you might bury this diadem thing!"

"What's the matter?" Crabbe grumbled, yanking his arm out of Malfoy's grip. "It's Potter the Dark Lord wants—who cares about a die-dum?"

"Potter came in here to get it," Malfoy explained impatiently, "so that must mean—"

"_Must mean_?" Crabbe echoed, glaring at his so-called friend. "Who cares what you think? I don't take your orders no more, _Draco_. You an' your dad are finished!"

"Harry?" Ron called once more. "What's going on?"

"_Harry? What's going_—no, Potter!" Crabbe shouted as Harry lunged towards the diadem. "_Crucio_!"

Harry dived out of the way as Crabbe's spell missed him—it hit the bust instead. The diadem went flying off it, and it dropped somewhere out of sight.

"You bastard!" Lucy screamed before sending a Stunner at Crabbe; in her anger, she missed him, and she ducked behind a pile of objects as Goyle tried to retaliate.

"STOP!" Malfoy demanded. "The Dark Lord wants him alive—!"

"So? I'm not killing him, am I?" Crabbe said gleefully. "But if I can, I will. The Dark Lord wants him dead anyway—what's the diff—?"

Hermione had appeared from around the corner behind Lucy and Harry, and she sent a Stunner at Crabbe. Malfoy jerked Crabbe out of the way just in time.

"It's that Mudblood!" Crabbe growled. "_Avada Kedavra_!"

Hermione dove behind a large chair, and Lucy saw red. She and Harry both leapt out from behind their cover and attempted to Stun Crabbe. He managed to side-step their spells, but in doing so, he knocked into Malfoy. Malfoy's wand dropped from his hand and rolled underneath a pile of objects.

"Don't kill him!" Malfoy was shouting as Crabbe and Goyle aimed at Harry. "DON'T KILL HIM!"

Crabbe and Goyle hesitated, and Harry took his chance. "_Expelliarmus_!" he shouted, and Goyle's wand went flying from his hand. Lucy, meanwhile, sent another Stunner at Malfoy, who dodged it. Then Ron appeared at the opposite end of the row—behind Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle—and sent a Body-Bind Curse at Crabbe, which just missed.

Crabbe whipped towards Ron and shouted again, "_Avada Kedavra_!"

Ron jumped out of the way to avoid the Unforgivable Curse. Hermione popped up from her hiding spot and hit Goyle with a Stunner.

"Damn it—we don't have time for this," Lucy called over to her brother.

"I know," Harry agreed, crouched behind his pile of stuff again. "Listen—listen, Hermione! It's somewhere here." He pointed into the pile where the diadem had fallen. "Look for it while I go and help R—"

"HARRY!" Hermione screeched, pointing.

Lucy and Harry whipped their heads around to see Ron and Crabbe running back towards them.

"Like it hot, scum?" Crabbe taunted.

Lucy could see that behind him, flames were sprouting up, consuming the items in the room. Crabbe waved his wand at the fire, but he couldn't stop it; whatever he'd done, it was now out of control.

"_Aguamenti_!" Harry shouted, but the water that came out of his wand evaporated before it even reached the flames.

"RUN!"

Crabbe streaked ahead of them, looking petrified at what he had done. Malfoy was dragging the Stunned Goyle along, and Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione ran after them. The flames were spreading quickly, engulfing everything around them. Soon, the fire was twisting into shapes—flaming beast like serpents, chimaeras, and dragons swooped after them.

Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione kept running; Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had disappeared. Then, the Gryffindors had to stop—the flames had them surrounded.

"What can we do?" Hermione asked. "What can we _do_?"

"Here!" Harry shouted. He had found a couple of brooms. He tossed one at Ron, who caught it, and then another at Lucy, who quickly mounted it. Then Harry grabbed one for himself. Hermione got onto the back of Ron's broom, and they kicked off into the air.

The fire-beasts continued to swirl around them, and the smoke was starting to choke them. Lucy could feel herself begin to sweat at the heat the fire was producing. Harry led the way, flying low, as though he was looking for something.

"Harry, let's get out!" Ron shouted. "Let's get out!"

But then they could hear screaming. Harry wheeled about in the air, looking for the source of it.

"It's—too—dangerous!" Ron insisted.

Harry didn't listen. He zoomed across the room to where the shouts were coming from. Lucy hurried to follow him, and they found Malfoy and Goyle—who was still unconscious—on top of a mountain of desks. The whole pile was swaying dangerously.

Harry dove towards them and attempted to grab Malfoy, but it was no good. Malfoy's hand slipped right through Harry's.

"IF WE DIE FOR THEM, I'LL KILL YOU, HARRY!" Ron bellowed.

"RON!" Lucy snapped. "Help me get Goyle onto my broom!"

Ron and Hermione dove towards Goyle with Lucy, and they were able to pull the limp body onto Lucy's broom. She and Ron pulled their brooms up into the air. Lucy paused, watching at Harry dove once more. Malfoy managed to get onto the broom this time around, and Harry flew into the air to join his friends.

Ron and Hermione shot towards the door, which they could barely see through the smoke. Lucy followed right behind them, trying her hardest to make sure that Goyle remained on her broom. She heard Malfoy screaming something behind her, but she didn't turn around.

Hermione pointed her wand at the door, and it burst open. Ron steered their broom through the door and out into the corridor. Lucy was right behind them, pulling up before she could crash into the wall across from the Room of Requirement's door. As Ron and Hermione toppled off their broom, Lucy gently landed and pushed Goyle unceremoniously onto the floor. Then she also got off her broom, dropped it, and sunk down onto her knees.

"Where's Harry?" she panted. "_Where is he_?"

A moment later, Harry and Malfoy shot out of the door and crashed right into the wall. As they fell to the floor, the door to the Room of Requirement shut and disappeared.

"C-Crabbe," Malfoy croaked. "C-Crabbe…"

"He's dead," Ron spat.

There was silence as they all tried to catch their breath. The castle quaked around them, and a group of ghosts—the Headless Hunt—galloped by on their ghost steeds.

Harry stood up, looking around them. "Where's Ginny? She was here. She was supposed to be going back into the Room of Requirement."

"Blimey—d'you reckon it'll still work after that fire?" Ron wondered. He stood up, as well, rubbing at his chest. "Shall we split up and look—?"

"No," Hermione said immediately, accepting Ron's hand; he hauled her to her feet. "Let's stick together. I say we go—Harry, what's that on your arm?"

"What?" Harry asked, distracted. He looked down at his arm, where something was hanging. "Oh, yeah…" He slid the item down his wrist and held it up. It was the diadem—or, at least, what was left of the diadem. Then, suddenly, it shuddered in Harry's hand and burst apart.

"It must have been Fiendfyre!" Hermione gasped.

"Sorry?" Harry asked.

"Fiendfyre—cursed fire," Hermione explained. "It's one of the substances that destroys Horcruxes, but I would never, ever have dared to use it. It's so dangerous—how did Crabbe know how to—?"

"Must've learned it from the Carrows," Lucy said with a shrug. She'd heard the stories about how Crabbe and Goyle had been favorites of the Death Eater professors.

"Shame he wasn't concentrating when they mentioned how to stop it, really," Ron said dryly. "If he hadn't tried to kill us all, I'd be quite sorry he was dead."

"But don't you realize?" Hermione whispered. "This means if we can just get the snake—"

She stopped as they heard yelling. They looked around to see a pair of Death Eaters running past the corridor; they had made it into the school.

"Shit," Harry hissed.

"They're here," Lucy breathed. "They've breached the castle." She looked over at her friends. "I've got to go and help the others—"

"But—"

"No, go and find the other Horcrux," Lucy said. "You've come this far without me—go, now." She looked at Harry, who was watching her carefully.

After a moment, their staring contest was broken by Harry nodding at her. Lucy nodded back, and then she took off down the corridor. Names kept flashing across her mind—Jeremy, Sally-Anne, Ginny, Neville. She had to at least find one of them to make sure that they were okay—that they were still fighting.

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: See, Lucy didn't get to miss all the Horcrux hunting. Ha.**_


	23. 20: The Battle

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 20 – The Battle**

Chaos. It was the only word that Lucy could think of to describe what was happening in Hogwarts castle at that moment. There were flashes of lights all around her, and chunks of the wall and ceiling cascaded down every few minutes.

But Lucy didn't care. She had to get to someone—had to find someone she knew. She had to know what was going on during the fighting.

"Jones!" a voice yelled, stopping her.

There was a loud _bang_, and before Lucy could even turn around, she was lifted off her feet and thrown against the stone wall. The breath went out of her for a moment as she crumpled to the floor. Panting painfully, she looked up to see a masked Death Eater standing before her, his wand held aloft and pointed at her.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's dishonorable to attack your opponent while their back is turned?" Lucy snarled, pushing herself into a crouched position, her hands braced on the floor.

The Death Eater laughed before waving his wand again. Lucy rolled quickly out of the way, sprung back up onto her feet, and whipped her own wand out, pointing it towards him. He paused.

When the Death Eater didn't attack again, Lucy demanded, "What are you waiting for?"

"If you come with me quietly, I promise no more harm will come to you," the Death Eater said, surprising Lucy.

"You've already attacked me. Why would you expect me to believe you now?" she asked. She was confused; since when did Death Eaters attempt to take prisoners instead of blindly attacking?

"The Dark Lord is very interested in you," the Death Eater drawled. "Imagine his surprise when he found out that there was another Potter still alive."

Lucy let out a dry laugh, her surprise fading away. "You expect me to come with you so that Voldemort can kill me?"

The Death Eater snarled, "Don't you use his name! You are unworthy—"

"Yeah, yeah," Lucy said, waving her hand lazily at him. "But I'm still right, aren't I? He's either going to kill me, or he's going to use me to lure Harry to him—and _then_ he'll kill me. So, either way, it'd be better if I refused, wouldn't it?"

"Suit yourself," the Death Eater said with a shrug. He rose his wand a little higher. "You'll be going to the Dark Lord, whether you come willingly or not."

"If that's the case, can't I see the face of the man who means to turn me in?" Lucy taunted, although on the inside, she was shaking with nerves. "Or are you too much of a coward?"

The Death Eater didn't hesitate; he reached up and removed his mask. He had dark hair, and his lips were turned up into a sinister smirk. But Lucy couldn't look away from his eyes; she _knew_ those eyes.

"Do you know who I am?" the man asked, and Lucy shook her head as the hand not holding her wand started to shake. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Gareth Whitlock—and I believe that _you_ are the girl who has brainwashed my son."

Lucy's heart rate sped up. This was not how she envisioned meeting her boyfriend's father; in fact, she'd never intended on meeting her boyfriend's father, considering his status as a Death Eater. And now, here he was, with his wand pointed at her and threatening to take her directly to Voldemort.

"I see you're speechless," Gareth Whitlock laughed. "Now, be a good girl, and come with me. The Dark Lord has been waiting a long time to meet you."

Lucy finally found her voice as she thought about her friends; they needed her. "Well, he'll have to wait a little bit longer," she stated, raising her wand.

"Very well," Gareth sighed. "I guess I'll have to take you to him by force."

There was a beat of silence as Lucy stared at Jeremy's father, waiting for him to make the first move. Then, as he began to move his wand, Lucy put up a silent Shield Charm so strong that it knocked him off balance.

"_Stupefy_!" she cried.

Gareth side-stepped her spell, parrying her with one of his own. They danced around each other for a few moments, sending curses back and forth, neither hitting their intended target.

"Give it up, girl," Gareth snarled, finally managing to hit Lucy with another spell that had her falling to the floor in agony. "You're never going to beat me. You're just a child—"

Through the haze of pain, Lucy leveled her wand at him and blasted him backwards. She heard him huff as he landed hard on the floor. Lucy struggled back to her feet and said, "Never start taunting in the middle of a duel."

Gareth sent a spell at her, and Lucy deflected it with a Shield Charm.

"I learned that the hard way," Lucy went on, pointing her wand at the man and successfully Disarming him. "When I had to watch my godfather die, because of your fellow Death Eaters." Gareth let out a growl and lunged for his wand, but Lucy stopped him in his tracks, shouting, "_Impedimenta!_" Then, her voice shaking, she finished, "And you're all going to pay for it—for all the deaths you've caused."

Gareth laughed roughly, getting back onto his feet. "You wouldn't be able to kill me," he said.

Lucy stated, "Maybe not." Then she sent a Stunner straight into his chest.

Gareth keeled over backwards, landing on his back with a _thud_. Lucy, breathing a bit hard, glared at him for a moment.

When she saw that he was unconscious, she let out a short laugh. "Well, then," she said with a shake of her head, "looks like you won't be taking me to Voldemort, after all." Then she sprinted off again.

**~LJ:TW~**

Lucy soon made it back to the main staircase and stopped suddenly when she saw what was happening there. At the bottom of the stairs in the entrance hall, Tonks was in a furious duel with Bellatrix Lestrange. Tonks was holding her own, but for some reason, Lucy couldn't take her eyes away from the fight.

"Lucy!" a voice shouted.

Lucy looked around, and Jeremy crashed into her, sending her onto the floor to avoid a jet of green light. "Jeremy!" she said breathlessly; she had been so preoccupied with watching Tonks that she hadn't been protecting herself.

Jeremy had already gotten onto his feet and was dueling with a masked Death Eater. Lucy jumped up to join him.

It didn't take long before they had Disarmed the Death Eater and then knocked him unconscious. Lucy looked down into the entrance hall, noticing that Tonks and Bellatrix were still locked in their duel.

"C'mon, you can do better than that!" Bellatrix was screaming. "Don't you want to avenge your dear werewolf? I heard Dolohov really made it hurt—!"

Lucy's breath caught in her throat as Bellatrix's words echoed in her head. There was a ringing in her ears as she stared at the duel; Tonks had screamed in frustration and grief, shooting curse after curse at her aunt.

But then Bellatrix caught Tonks off guard—and the duel was finished—and Tonks was falling down—

Lucy knew that she was screaming, but she couldn't help it. She sprinted down the stairs and blasted Bellatrix back so hard that she went flying out the front doors. Then Lucy fell to the floor at Tonks's side, tears dripping down her face. "No…" she sobbed shakily. "No, Tonks—_please_, no."

"LUCY!" Jeremy put up a shield around Lucy and Tonks's body. "Lucy, c'mon—we can't stay here. It isn't safe!"

"But I can't leave her!" Lucy cried. "I can't leave her—she was like my big sister—my _family_—I can't—!"

Jeremy hauled her to her feet and pulled her away from Tonks, while she kicked and screamed at him to let her go. He pushed her up against the wall and held her there as she struggled. When she realized that Jeremy wasn't going to give up, she stilled, but she never took her eyes off Tonks.

"Lucy, I'm sorry," Jeremy said hoarsely. "She's gone—she's gone."

"What about Remus?" Lucy asked, and Jeremy remained silent. She turned her gaze to her boyfriend and demanded, "_What about Remus, Jeremy_?"

"He—I'm sorry," Jeremy murmured, hanging his head. "He fought well, but Dolohov got him."

Lucy squeezed her eyes shut tightly. She couldn't believe what Jeremy was telling her; Remus couldn't be dead. Her uncle—one of the only links that she had to her parents—couldn't be dead. Then Lucy thought about Teddy—poor Teddy, who was going to be an orphan now, just like her.

She did the only thing she could think of: she opened her mouth and screamed. Jeremy held her for the next few minutes as she let her grief out. But he only let her have a few minutes before he was shaking her gently. Her sobs subsided.

"We need to keep moving," Jeremy said quietly. "There are Death Eaters everywhere—we don't want to get caught off guard."

Lucy nodded, wiping her hands over her face, still breathing heavily. "Let's go," she whispered, with one last look at Tonks in the middle of the floor.

They moved off, heading up the main staircase and sprinting off down the hall.

**~LJ:TW~**

Lucy and Jeremy continued through the castle, dueling with Death Eaters whenever they met any. Lucy fought furiously, taking out her anger at Tonks's and Remus's deaths on the Death Eaters she faced. She and Jeremy worked well together, weaving in and out between one another as they dueled over and over again.

Eventually, after they had incapacitated another couple of Death Eaters, Lucy said suddenly, "Jeremy, I—I saw your dad."

"You what?" Jeremy asked, staring at her.

"I ran into your dad earlier," Lucy repeated. "He wanted to take me to Voldemort, so we dueled."

"You _dueled_?" Jeremy echoed, his eyes wide, and Lucy could only nod at him. "I—you—" Jeremy gaped at Lucy for a moment longer before grabbing her and pulling her into a crushing hug. "I'm so glad you're safe."

"Of course I'm safe," Lucy said soothingly; she didn't feel like telling him about how terrified she'd been.

Jeremy pulled away from her, but he took her face in both of his hands. "Why did he want to take you to You-Know-Who?"

"The same reason why they wanted to kidnap you off the train," Lucy reported. "Voldemort wants to use me to lure Harry to him—although at this point, it might also be to get rid of all the Potters once and for all." She paused. "You're not mad at me that I fought with your dad, are you?"

"No," Jeremy said immediately. "All I care about is that you're safe. Lucy, I love you, and if we get out of this tonight, I'm going to spend the rest of our lives proving it."

Lucy frowned in confusion at his statement. "What d'you—?"

"Marry me," Jeremy blurted.

Lucy stared at him, sure that she'd misheard him. When he didn't elaborate, she said, "Excuse me?"

"When this is all over—when we've beaten Voldemort and have peace again, I want to marry you," Jeremy stated.

Lucy eyes widened at his use of Voldemort's name. She remained quiet for a beat while she turned over his proposal in her mind. "Okay," she finally said. "Let's get married."

Jeremy smiled at her. "I promise that I'll ask you properly when this is all done," he vowed. "And I'll get you a nice, shiny ring."

"Nothing too crazy," Lucy warned playfully.

"Never," Jeremy agreed. "I know you well enough that you're going to want something simple." He leaned forward and kissed her lips sweetly. "We should keep going," he added quietly.

"Agreed," Lucy said, and the two of them hurried off.

**~LJ:TW~**

The battle seemed never-ending, and Lucy had seen more dead bodies than she'd ever wished to see. Her entire being ached, both physically and mentally.

Lucy and Jeremy had just defeated another Death Eater when Voldemort's voice returned, echoing magically around them.

"_You have fought valiantly_," he began. "_Lord Voldemort knows how to value true bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die—one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss, and a waste. Lord Voldemort is merciful; I command my forces to retreat immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity—treat your injured._

"_I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you, rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me—have not given yourself up—then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter. I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me._

"_One hour._"

A heavy silence fell over the castle. Lucy and Jeremy looked at each other, and Lucy knew that—wherever her brother was—Voldemort's speech would have gone right to Harry's heart. Voldemort knew exactly what to say to make Harry come after him.

"What now?" Jeremy asked.

"We regroup with everyone who's left," Lucy replied. "I don't want to follow Voldemort's orders, but treating any injuries should be our top priority, especially if the battle starts up again."

They slowly made their way towards the Great Hall—it seemed like the natural place to meet up with everyone again. As they went, they were joined with other fighters; some of them were carrying either the wounded or dead with them.

When they reached the entrance hall, Jeremy stopped, a strangled sound coming out of his throat. Lucy halted, as well, following his gaze to a small body lying on the floor. It was Mary Poole, her glazed eyes staring unseeingly at the ceiling; she was dead.

"No," Jeremy said with a shaking voice. "_No_… Mary…" He moved forward and knelt next to her, his head bowed.

Lucy stood next to him silently for a few minutes. "C'mon," she murmured eventually. "We'll take her inside with us."

Jeremy took a moment to gather himself before he got to his feet. Lucy helped him lift Mary's body, and they carried her between them into the Great Hall.

Inside the room, someone had removed the house tables. There was a row of dead bodies beginning to form in the middle of the room, and Lucy and Jeremy added Mary to the line. Jeremy crouched down next to her again, and soon they were joined by Daphne and Jake. Lucy hugged both of them tightly, relieved that they were safe.

There was a loud scream, and Lucy recognized the voice. She turned her head towards Mrs. Weasley, who was staring at the body that Percy and Oliver Wood were carrying into the room. Lucy's heart dropped as they set Fred's body in line with the rest of the dead.

Lucy moved forward immediately, joining the rest of the Weasleys. Mrs. Weasley fell to the ground, draping herself across her son's body—never-ending tears poured out of her eyes. Mr. Weasley crouched down next to his wife, stroking her hair as he also cried freely. George, looking utterly broken, dropped to his knees at his twin's head. Bill, Fleur, Ginny, and Percy remained standing, their heads bowed solemnly.

Lucy went over to George and wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind. She hugged him tightly and rested her cheek on top of his head—her tears ran down her face and into his hair. One of his hands came up and grabbed her forearm, grasping her desperately.

The next of the dead to be brought in were Remus and Tonks. When Lucy was finished consoling George, she moved over to them and knelt between both of them. She looked between their faces before taking one hand each; they were cold.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered at them. "I'm so sorry that this happened to you. But I swear—I _swear,_ if I get out of this alive, I will help Andromeda with Teddy. He will have the best childhood that we can give him, and he will _never_ forget what his mother and father fought for."

"Lucy," a voice said softly.

Lucy looked up to see Emmeline Vance looking down at her sadly. Lucy got to her feet and hugged the other witch; she didn't know Emmeline very well, but she knew that Emmeline had been friends with Remus.

"I'm sorry," Emmeline murmured to Lucy. "I know how much they both meant to you."

Lucy sniffed, pulling away from her. "Thank you," she said. "They gave their lives to a cause that they believed in; I just wish that they didn't have to leave their son behind."

Emmeline nodded her agreement before moving on.

Lucy turned back to the Weasleys and saw that Ron and Hermione had joined them. Harry was nowhere to be seen. She walked over to them, throwing her arms around Ron first and then Hermione.

"Where's Harry?" Lucy whispered to her friend as she pulled away.

Hermione frowned, looking around. "I'm not sure," she said. "I thought he was right behind us.…"

Lucy's eyes widened. "You don't think he—?" She stopped abruptly, looking at Hermione's face as it grew pale.

After a beat, Hermione said, "There's one Horcrux left. Just the snake—we have to kill the snake, and then Voldemort will be beatable."

Lucy nodded her understanding. If Harry truly had gone to turn himself in, Lucy knew what she, Hermione, and Ron had to do next: kill the snake, so that someone could kill Voldemort.

**~LJ:TW~**

People continued to filter in and out of the Great Hall, bringing with them the wounded or the dead. Lucy's grief rose every time a new body was added to the dead, although she also felt relieved whenever she saw one of her friends alive. She immediately felt guilty about that, and overall, she was feeling quite emotional.

Every time one of her friends entered the Great Hall, Lucy ran up to them and hugged them fiercely. The first person she saw was Neville, whom she nearly crushed the wind out of. Then there was Sally-Anne and her boyfriend Oliver Rivers, followed by Luna. She also embraced every member of Dumbledore's Army that she saw, and she shed more tears when she saw Lavender Brown added to the dead.

Eventually, Oliver Wood had brought in a body that had Lucy screaming again. Colin Creevey was placed in line with the rest of the dead, and Lucy ran to him. She fell onto the floor next to him, her tears renewed as she stared down at him.

"Why?" she said shakily. "Why did you come back? Colin—"

Then she was being hugged from behind; someone was trying to console her. She turned to see Daphne standing there, tears running freely down her cheeks. Lucy was stunned for a moment; she had _never_ seen Daphne cry before.

"I'm sorry, Lucy," Daphne said. "I'm so sorry."

Lucy grabbed Daphne and clung to her, letting herself cry on the other girl's shoulder. She cried for everyone they had lost and everything those of them still alive had had to endure. It wasn't fair; it just wasn't fair.

"But we can't give up yet," Daphne said firmly, pulling away from Lucy. "We have to beat him now—for Mary—for Colin—for everyone who's died. They didn't deserve it, and You-Know-Who needs to pay for it."

Daphne's words seemed to wake up a fury in Lucy's chest. She was right; they needed to keep fighting—even if it was only to avenge the dead that were lying there.

Lucy looked Daphne dead in the eye and nodded. "You're right," she said. "We have to keep fighting. We can't give up now."

Daphne gave her a grim smile of satisfaction. "Speaking of giving up—where's Harry?" she asked.

"I don't know," Lucy admitted.

"You don't think he would have turned himself in, do you?" Daphne wondered.

"Honestly?" Lucy said, and Daphne nodded. "Yes, I do think it's a possibility. What Voldemort said in his speech would have hit home for Harry. All that _you have permitted your friends to die for you_ bullshit is the exact right thing he needed to say to get to Harry."

"They didn't die for Harry," Daphne said, frowning. "They died fighting for a cause that they believed in—that everything You-Know-Who stands for is complete bullshit."

"I know that," Lucy said with a nod. "But this is Harry we're talking about. If he thinks he can end this without anyone else getting hurt, he's going to do it."

Jeremy joined them then, checking the watch on his wrist. "Our hour is almost up. No sign of Harry?"

Lucy shook her head and said, "No."

"Do you think he went to the forest?" Jeremy asked quietly.

Lucy could only shrug. She turned her head to look out one of the nearby windows and could see that the sky was just beginning to lighten. Their time was running out, and Lucy wasn't sure what would happen at the one-hour mark. She could only hope that Harry would reappear—soon.

**~LJ:TW~**

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_**A/N: Lucy's duel with Gareth Whitlock wasn't really planned; it was very spur of the moment. I knew that if I didn't have some kind of confrontation here, though, she'd never actually meet him. Originally, she basically took him out with one spell, which was ridiculous on my part. So hopefully the duel they have now is better than that.**_

_**I actually always planned on Jeremy asking Lucy to marry him during this battle. No idea why I wanted it to be that way, but there it is.**_

_**During one read through of the second half of this chapter, I actually teared up. Describing the Weasleys reactions to seeing Fred lying dead in the Great Hall was very difficult.**_

_** One more chapter to go before the Epilogue!**_


	24. 21: The Final Confrontation

_**A/N: This is the final chapter before the Epilogue.**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

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**Chapter 21 – The Final Confrontation**

Kingsley was calling for quiet. "Our one hour is almost over!" he announced over the heads in the crowd. "We need to strategize—!" But he was unable to finish his sentence, because he was interrupted by a new voice—Voldemort again.

"_Harry Potter is dead._"

"No," Lucy whispered, dread filling her. She felt dizzy—it was as though the world had slipped out from under her, and she was falling. There was a ringing in her ears, and Jeremy put his arm around her waist to help steady her.

"_He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself, while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero… is gone._"

"LIAR!" Lucy snarled, and she heard others around her agreeing.

"_The battle is won. You have lost half your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist—man, woman, or child—will be slaughtered—as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children—your brothers and sisters—will live and be forgiven—and you will join me in the new world we shall build together._"

There was silence for a moment, and those gathered in the castle knew that Voldemort had finished speaking.

"Does he really expect us to believe that bullshit?" Lucy grumbled, balling her hands up.

"Lucy—what if he's telling the truth?" Jeremy asked her.

Lucy turned to him, taking in his concerned look. "Even if Harry is—even if—if he's dead—" She choked on the word as she forced it out. "—we can't stop fighting now. I'm not giving up—I'm not _bowing_ to _him_."

"Lucy—"

"NO!" Lucy snapped, pulling away from Jeremy and standing before him and the rest of her friends—her family. "_I'm not bowing to him_! If Harry really is gone, I'm going to honor him in the best way I know how—by fighting for our freedom! I'm not giving up!"

She hadn't meant it to seem like a heroic speech, but there was a moment of silence after her words, followed by clapping. She glanced around, locking eyes briefly with each of her friends: Jeremy, Neville, Ginny, Ron, Hermione. They stared back at her with determination on their faces.

"Someone's coming!" A member of the Order skidded through the doorway into the Great Hall—he had been keeping watch at the entrance of the castle. "There's a whole group of people marching down the lawn from the forest!"

"It's Voldemort," Lucy hissed.

There was a flurry of noise as everyone who wasn't seriously injured ran out of the hall and towards the front doors. Professor McGonagall was leading the way, and she pulled the doors open. They all began to pile out of the castle, gathering around the front steps.

Voldemort was indeed leading his group of Death Eaters forward. He looked terrifying to Lucy—she had never actually seen him in person before. He was deathly pale, and his nose was flat. Even from the distance, Lucy could see that his eyes were bright red; he was so unnatural that it was hard for Lucy to look at him with anything but disgust.

Voldemort's giant snake Nagini was wrapped around his shoulders. Lucy glanced at Ron and Hermione—all they had to do was get to the snake somehow—

"_NO!_" Professor McGonagall wailed.

Hagrid had stomped into view, being forced by the Death Eaters to walk forward. In his arms was Harry—Harry's body.

"No!"

"_No!_"

"Harry! HARRY!"

Everyone around Lucy started to cry out, unable to believe that Harry was indeed dead. But Lucy couldn't say anything—couldn't speak or yell—because she knew that, even if Harry was gone, this wasn't over—not yet.

"SILENCE!" Voldemort finally screamed, waving his wand.

There was a loud _bang_, and everyone in the crowd became silent.

"It is over!" Voldemort spat. "Set him down, Hagrid—at my feet, where he belongs!"

Lucy clenched her fists as Hagrid did as he was told. Harry's body laid motionless on the ground. _Get up, Harry_, Lucy thought. _Get up_.

"You see?" Voldemort said gleefully. "Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing—_ever_—but a boy, who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"

Lucy stepped forward in front of the others and shouted, "He beat _you_!"

Voldemort's grin turned lethal. "We finally meet, Lucy Jones," he said in an oily tone. "Do you want to hear all about how your dear brother died? How he was trying to sneak out of the castle while you all fought for him? He tried to save himself—"

"You're a LIAR!" Lucy screamed. "I won't let you talk about him like that! Harry _sacrificed_ himself, so that the rest of us might have a chance!"

The rest of the crowd behind her roared in agreement, and Voldemort waved his wand furiously, forcing them into silence once again.

"Harry Potter is dead, and you're nothing but a silly girl!" he retorted. "You will bow before me—"

"I will _never _bow to you!" Lucy broke through Voldemort's magic again, refusing to keep quiet.

"SILENCE!" Voldemort screamed, and he pointed his wand at her.

Pain—pain like she'd never felt before. She felt her knees slam into the ground as she collapsed from the pain, but she gritted her teeth, refusing to cry out—refusing to give Voldemort the satisfaction.

"Stop!" Lucy heard Jeremy shout from the crowd.

The pain receded, quicker than Lucy thought it would, and she fell forward, catching herself with her hands. Her chest heaved as she panted, trying to get air back into her lungs. She looked up at Voldemort, glaring at him before saying, "You're going to have to kill me—but you knew that already."

Voldemort smirked down at her. "Soon, there will be no more Potters in the world."

"_No_!" Neville ran forward, holding his wand aloft.

But Voldemort was quicker. He waved his wand, and there was another _bang_. Neville was stopped in his tracks, and he fell to the ground next to Lucy.

"Neville…" Lucy whispered.

"And who is this?" Voldemort asked. "Who else has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?"

"It's Neville Longbottom, my Lord!" Bellatrix Lestrange stepped forward from the crowd of Death Eaters; she seemed to be vibrating with excitement. "One of the boys who have been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?"

"Ah, yes, I _do_ remember," Voldemort said with a feline grin as Neville attempted to push himself back to his feet. "But you are a pureblood, aren't you, my brave boy?"

Neville stood and said, "So what if I am?"

"You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock," Voldemort said. "You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom."

Lucy got to her feet, standing silently next to Neville.

"I'll join you when hell freezes over," Neville spat. Then he threw a fist into the air and yelled, "Dumbledore's Army!"

The crowd behind Lucy and Neville cried their support.

"Very well," Voldemort said. "If that is your choice, Neville Longbottom, we revert to the original plan. On your own head be it." He waved his wand once more, and Lucy tensed—but Voldemort didn't point it at her or Neville.

Far above them, one of the castle windows exploded, and everyone looked around in alarm. Floating towards them was a black-colored object. It flew into Voldemort's hand, and he shook the item out: it was the Sorting Hat.

"There will be no more sorting at Hogwarts School," Voldemort announced. "There will be no more houses. The emblem, shield, and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone. Won't they, Neville Longbottom?" He pointed his wand at Neville, who became still. Then he forced the Sorting Hat onto Neville's head.

"No!" Lucy shouted, lunging towards Neville, but Voldemort turned his wand on her. She was blasted off her feet, landing and skidding across the lawn a few feet away.

"Lucy!"

"I'll deal with you later, Lucy Jones," Voldemort sneered at her as she struggled to sit up. Then he turned back to Neville and said, "Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me."

The Sorting Hat burst into flames, and Neville was soon on fire, as well. The fighters behind him screamed in horror, and Lucy sprang to her feet, adrenaline pumping through her.

Then there was a roar. Lucy stopped short, staring at the new group of people barreling towards the castle, screaming and wands held out. At the front were Charlie Weasley and Professor Slughorn. Lucy's heart soared: reinforcements had arrived.

At the same time, Grawp had appeared, seemingly looking for Hagrid. The giants that were on Voldemort's side shouted and pounded their fists against their chests before running at Grawp.

Arrows flew from the forest through the air towards the Death Eaters; the centaurs had come to join the battle. The Death Eaters scattered, trying to protect themselves from the centaurs and the new fighters behind them.

Lucy ran to Neville and reached him just as the Sorting Hat's flames went out. She grabbed the hat and pulled it off Neville's head, finding her friend unharmed from the fire. Suddenly, the hat became very heavy in Lucy's hand, and she looked down to see what looked like a handle poking out of the fabric. Neville took hold of it and pulled out a long, silver sword: the Sword of Gryffindor.

Lucy's and Neville's eyes met. "_The snake_!" Lucy hissed, and Neville nodded only once.

Voldemort, having been distracted by the new threat to his followers, wasn't looking at them. Nagini had uncoiled from his shoulders and slithered to the ground. Neville raised the sword over his head and brought it down on the snake. His strike cut clean through, and the head of the snake went flying.

"_Yes_!" Lucy cried, but only Neville could hear her over the battle screams happening all around them. They had killed the snake; Voldemort was now vulnerable.

"HARRY!" Lucy heard Hagrid shout from nearby. "HARRY—WHERE'S HARRY?"

Lucy looked around quickly and saw that Harry was no longer lying where Hagrid had set him. Lucy's heartbeat increased. _Was he alive? Where was he?_

The battle surged forward, pushing everyone back into the castle. Lucy turned back to the fighting, throwing up a Shield Charm before a curse could get to Neville.

"Where is your wand?" Lucy asked him, and he shrugged.

"Lucy!" Jeremy was pushing towards the crowd to get to her.

When he reached her, she grabbed his hand. "C'mon!" she said. She took Neville's other arm and tugged him behind them. The three of them shuffled into the castle with everyone else, with Jeremy protecting the other two. They followed the crowd into the Great Hall, where the dead bodies had been moved to protect them from the fighting.

Then Lucy saw Dolohov, and she dropped both Neville's and Jeremy's wrists. She veered off towards the Death Eater—towards the man who had killed her uncle. She heard Jeremy call after her, but all she could think of was revenge.

"Dolohov!" she shouted savagely.

The man in question turned around and grinned maniacally. "Lucy Jones," he said. "How the Dark Lord will reward me when I deliver you to him… dead."

"Try it, then," Lucy snarled.

There was a beat as they stared at each other, and then the duel began. Dolohov was tough—Lucy hadn't been naïve enough to think that it would be an easy battle—but she was fighting for more than herself. She was fighting for Remus and Tonks, Fred and Colin—everyone who had paid the ultimate price that night.

A few minutes later, Dolohov screamed as Lucy sent him crashing to the floor. His head hit the stones hard, and he was still. Lucy heaved a sigh of relief before turning in alarm when she heard a shout from nearby.

"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" Mrs. Weasley was charging towards Bellatrix, who had been dueling against Ginny, Hermione, and Luna all at once. "OUT OF MY WAY!"

The duel that began was fierce and intense. Everyone around them stopped to watch, and Bellatrix, who had been laughing at first, glared as she had to double her efforts. Mrs. Weasley was precise in her anger, and soon enough, she had the upper hand.

"No!" Mrs. Weasley snapped at a few students who tried to assist her. "Get back! _Get back_! She is _mine_!"

She and Bellatrix were the only ones fighting—besides Voldemort, who was dueling with Kingsley, Slughorn, and Professor McGonagall. Everyone else stood along the edges of the Great Hall.

"What will happen to your children when I've killed you?" Bellatrix sneered. "When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?"

Lucy felt anger swell in her at Bellatrix's taunting, but Mrs. Weasley wasn't having any of it.

"You will—_never_—touch—our children—again!" she yelled.

Bellatrix let out an exhilarated, manic laugh—and it reminded Lucy of Sirius laughing at Bellatrix before she killed him. Curses flew out of Mrs. Weasley's wand so fast, and then Bellatrix missed one. The jet of light pierced the witch in her chest, and the woman stumbled back two steps, the surprise etched on her face. Then she fell to the floor, where she moved no more.

The rest of the fighters let out joyous noises, while Voldemort screamed in fury. He waved his wand, and Kingsley, Slughorn, and Professor McGonagall went flying through the air. Voldemort turned his wand on Mrs. Weasley—

"_PROTEGO_!"

Everyone froze as their eyes darted around for the source of the spell. Lucy's heart leapt; she thought she recognized the voice, but she scolded herself—there was no way—

Suddenly, standing before Voldemort, was Harry, sweeping his Invisibility Cloak over his head.

"_Harry_!" Lucy cried, and she could hear others around her echoing the same shock.

"I don't want anyone else to try to help," Harry warned everyone. "It's got to be like this. It's got to be me."

Voldemort glared at Harry, but Lucy could see that he was a little bit frightened. "Potter doesn't mean that," he growled. "That isn't how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?"

"Nobody," Harry answered. "There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me. _Neither can live while the other survives_, and one of us is about to leave for good."

"_One of us_?" Voldemort repeated with a cold, jeering laugh. "You think it will be you, do you? The boy who has survived by _accident,_ and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?"

"Accident, was it, when my mother died to save me?" Harry shot back. He and Voldemort had slowly started to circle one another. "Accident, when I decided to fight in that graveyard? _Accident_, that I didn't defend myself tonight and still survived—and returned to fight, again?"

"_Accidents_!" Voldemort insisted. "Accidents and chance—and the fact that you crouched and sniveled behind the skirts of greater men and women—and permitted me to kill them for you!"

"You won't be killing anyone else tonight," Harry said calmly. "You won't be able to kill any of them ever again. Don't you get it? I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people—"

"But you did not!" Voldemort interrupted.

"I _meant_ to," Harry said. "And that's what I did. I've done what my mother did. They're protected from you. Haven't you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can't torture them. You can't touch them. You don't learn from your mistakes, Riddle, do you?"

"_You dare_—"

"Yes, I dare," Harry said, his voice loud and strong. "I know things you don't, Tom Riddle. I know _lots_ of important things that you don't. Want to hear some, before you make another big mistake?"

Voldemort didn't speak for a moment before asking mockingly, "Is it love again? Dumbledore's favorite solution, _love_, which he claimed conquered death—though love did not stop him falling from the tower and breaking like an old waxwork. _Love_, which did not prevent me stamping out your Mudblood mother like a cockroach, Potter—" Lucy hissed under her breath as Voldemort went on, "—and nobody seems to love you enough to run forward this time and take my curse. So, what will stop you dying now when I strike?"

"Just one thing," Harry said simply.

"It if is not love that will save you this time, you must believe that you have magic that I do not," Voldemort said. "Or else a weapon more powerful than mine."

"I believe both," Harry told him, to the surprise of everyone in the hall.

Voldemort laughed coldly. "You think _you_ know more magic than I do?" he asked. "More than _I_—than Lord Voldemort—who has performed magic that Dumbledore himself never dreamed of?"

"Oh, he dreamed of it, but he knew more than you," Harry said. "He knew enough not to do what you've done."

"You mean he was weak!" Voldemort spat. "Too weak to dare—too weak to take what might have been his—what will be _mine_!"

"No, he was cleverer than you," Harry said. "A better wizard—a better man."

"I brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore!" Voldemort screamed.

"You thought you did, but you were wrong," Harry said.

Lucy's eyebrows furrowed, curious to hear what Harry meant.

"_Dumbledore is dead_!" Voldemort shouted. "His body decays in the marble tomb on the grounds of this castle! I have seen it, Potter, and he will _not_ return!"

"Yes, Dumbledore's dead," Harry agreed with a nod, "but you didn't have him killed. He chose his own manner of dying—chose it months before he died—arranged the whole thing with the man _you_ thought was your servant."

"What childish dream is this?" Voldemort asked.

"Severus Snape wasn't yours," Harry stated. "Snape was Dumbledore's—Dumbledore's from the moment you started hunting down my mother. And you never realized it, because of the thing you can't understand. You never saw Snape cast a Patronus, did you, Riddle?" When Voldemort didn't answer, Harry went on, "Snape's Patronus was a doe, the same as my mother's—because he loved her for nearly all of his life—from the time when they were children. You should have realized—he asked you to spare her life, didn't he?"

Lucy's jaw had dropped open. Snape had loved her mother? When had Harry learned this?

"He desired her—that was all," Voldemort scoffed. "But when she had gone, he agreed that there were other women—of purer blood, worthier of him—"

"Of course, he told _you_ that," Harry said, "but he was Dumbledore's spy from the moment you threatened her. He's been working against you ever since! Dumbledore was already dying when Snape finished him!"

"It matters not!" Voldemort cried. "It matters not whether Snape was mine or Dumbledore's—or what petty obstacles they tried to put in my path! I crushed them, as I crushed your mother—Snape's supposed great _love_! Oh, but it all makes sense, Potter, and in ways that you do not understand!

"Dumbledore was trying to keep the Elder Wand from me! He intended that Snape should be the true master of the wand! But I got there ahead of you, little boy—I reached the wand before you could get your hands on it. I understood the truth before you caught up. I killed Severus Snape three hours ago, and the Elder Wand—the Deathstick—the Wand of Destiny—is truly mine! Dumbledore's last plan went wrong, Harry Potter!"

"Yeah, it did," Harry admitted. "You're right. But before you try to kill me, I'd advise you to think about what you've done.… Think, and try for some remorse, Riddle.…"

Lucy could see Voldemort's face contort into shock. "What is this?" he asked.

"It's your one last chance," Harry went on. "It's all you've got left.… I've seen what you'll be otherwise.… Be a man—try—try for some remorse.…"

Voldemort snarled, "You dare—?"

"Yes, I dare," Harry interrupted, "because Dumbledore's last plan hasn't backfired on me at all. It's backfired on _you_, Riddle." He paused, and when Voldemort said nothing, he continued, "That wand still isn't working properly for you, because you murdered the wrong person. Severus Snape was never the true master of the Elder Wand. He never defeated Dumbledore."

Voldemort insisted, "He killed—"

"Aren't you listening?" Harry cut in. "_Snape never beat Dumbledore_! Dumbledore's death was planned between them! Dumbledore intended to die undefeated—the wand's last true master! If all had gone as planned, the wand's power would have died with him—because it had never been won from him!"

"But then, Potter, Dumbledore as good as _gave_ me the wand!" Voldemort laughed darkly. "I stole the wand from its last master's tomb! I removed it against its last master's wishes! Its power is mine!"

"You still don't get it, Riddle, do you?" Harry said with a shake of his head. "_Possessing_ the wand isn't enough! Holding it—using it—doesn't make it really _yours_. Didn't you listen to Ollivander? _The wand chooses the wizard._… The Elder Wand recognized a new master before Dumbledore died—someone who never even laid a hand on it. The new master removed the wand from Dumbledore against his will—never realizing exactly what he had done, or that the world's most dangerous wand had given him its allegiance."

There was stunned silence throughout the crowd. Most of them had no idea what was going on—Lucy included.

"The true master of the Elder Wand was Draco Malfoy," Harry announced.

Voldemort, again, looked shocked—but it was wiped from his face quite quickly. "But what does it matter?" he asked. "Even if you are right, Potter, it makes no difference to you and me. You no longer have the phoenix wand; we duel on skill alone—and after I have killed you, I can attend to Draco Malfoy—"

"But you're too late," Harry sped on. "You've missed your chance—_I_ got there first. I overpowered Draco _weeks_ ago. I took this wand from him." He held up the wand gripped in his hand. "So, it all comes down to this, doesn't it? Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does—_I_ am the true master of the Elder Wand."

Another beat of silence. The sun outside had finally peaked over the horizon, sending morning rays into the Great Hall. Voldemort and Harry stared at each other, their wands pointed at one another. Then—

"_Avada Kedavra_!"

"_Expelliarmus_!"

Two jets of light flew towards each other and collided between the wizards who'd fired them—

And Voldemort's jet of green light bounced back towards its caster—

And then the Elder Wand went flying out of Voldemort's hand, twirling in the air towards Harry—

And Voldemort's spell hit himself square in the chest, and he toppled over backwards, hitting the stone floor with a _thud._

Lucy released the breath she'd been holding, staring at the body that had once been Voldemort. He was dead—_dead_—really and truly dead. Lucy felt goosebumps rise all over her skin as a smile spread across her face; she looked up at her brother, who was still standing in the middle of the room, the Elder Wand now clenched in his fist.

Lucy took off running as the Great Hall erupted is elated screams. She reached Harry at the same time as Ron and Hermione, and the three of them wrapped their arms around him. Then more and more people joined them, until they were surrounded by everyone who had been fighting.

And Lucy couldn't help the happy tears that ran down her face, because it was over—_finally_, it was over.

**~LJ:TW~**

The house tables were restored to the Great Hall, so that everyone could sit down and have some breakfast. Friends and families grouped together, celebrating the victory and mourning their losses at the same time.

Lucy sat with Jeremy, Sally-Anne, Oliver Rivers, Daphne, and Jake. The Weasleys were sitting nearby, along with some other members of the Order. Neville was a few feet away, as well, still hanging onto the Sword of Gryffindor.

"Lucy," a voice hissed.

Lucy turned her head but saw no one.

"It's me," Harry whispered—he was under his Invisibility Cloak. "Come with me."

Lucy turned around and kissed Jeremy on the cheek. "Be back in a bit," she said. Then she got up from the bench, and Harry threw the Invisibility Cloak over her; Ron and Hermione were there, as well.

They left the Great Hall and went up the main staircase. Lucy, Ron, and Hermione let Harry lead the way.

First, Harry got Lucy caught up to speed on what happened after she'd left them earlier that evening. He told her how they'd tracked Voldemort down and saw him order Nagini to kill Snape. Then he told all three of them everything he'd seen in the memories that Snape had given him. Lucy learned that Snape had known her mother from before they'd started at Hogwarts, and that Snape had always loved her, even when he joined up with Voldemort.

Lastly, Harry explained that when Voldemort attempted to kill him as a baby, the Dark Lord had accidentally made Harry into a Horcrux. That was why Harry had had the connection to Voldemort, and why he had to meet Voldemort in the forest. Voldemort had killed the piece of his own soul that had been attached to Harry's, which is why Harry hadn't really died.

It was a long story, taking them all the way to their destination—the Head's office.

Harry looked down at the gargoyle that usually guarded the entrance—it was lying on the floor. "Can we go up?" Harry asked.

"Feel free," the statue said feebly.

The four of them passed the gargoyle and went up the stairs. When they reached the top, Harry pushed open the door, and they entered the office.

All around them, they heard a burst of applause. The occupants of the paintings in the room—the past headmasters and headmistresses—were cheering loudly and dancing around in their frames.

Harry stepped forward towards the painting hanging right behind the Head's chair. There was the portrait of Dumbledore, and he was beaming at Harry. Harry held up his hands, and the rest of the paintings quieted.

"The thing that was hidden in the Snitch," Harry began slowly, looking only at Dumbledore, "I dropped it in the forest. I don't know exactly where, but I'm not going to go looking for it again. Do you agree?"

"My dear boy, I do," Dumbledore said. "A wise and courageous decision, but no less than I would have expected from you. Does anyone else know where it fell?"

"No one," Harry said. There was a pause before he added, "I _am_ going to keep Ignotus's present, though."

"But of course, Harry," Dumbledore agreed with a smile. "It is yours forever—until you pass it on!"

"And then there's _this_." Harry held up the Elder Wand.

Lucy stared at it with uncertainty. When Harry had originally told her about the Deathly Hallows, he'd mentioned that it had a very long and bloodied past. She glanced at Ron and Hermione, who were both staring at the wand, as well.

"I don't want it," Harry stated firmly.

"What?" Ron exclaimed. "Are you mental?"

"I know it's powerful," Harry said, "but I was happier with mine. So…" He grabbed the Mokeskin pouch from around his neck, reached inside of it, and pulled out his wand. It had very nearly snapped in half. Harry put it on the desk and waved the Elder Wand over it, muttering, "_Reparo_."

The wand snapped back into one piece, and red sparks came out of the end. Harry picked it up and smiled faintly; Lucy knew that meant it had worked.

Harry turned back to Dumbledore and said, "I'm putting the Elder Wand back where it came from. It can stay there. If I die a natural death like Ignotus, its power will be broken, won't it? The previous master will never have been defeated. That'll be the end of it."

Dumbledore nodded.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked, staring at the Elder Wand.

"I think Harry's right," Lucy said, and she saw Hermione nodding her agreement.

"That wand's more trouble than it's worth," Harry commented. "And quite honestly, I've had enough trouble for a lifetime."

**~LJ:TW~**

Lucy went back downstairs, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione went up to Gryffindor Tower to get some sleep. As much as Lucy wanted to rest, she wanted to see someone more.

Jeremy was standing in the entrance hall at the front doors, which were flung wide open. He was looking out at the morning sky. He turned to Lucy when he heard her approach him.

"I almost can't believe it," Lucy said, stepping into his side. "I don't know what's going to happen next."

"Me, neither," Jeremy said. He pressed a kiss on top of Lucy's head and then added, "We should really get some sleep—want to come with me? See what the Slytherin common room looks like?"

"I suppose we don't really need to follow the rules today, do we?" Lucy giggled. "Yeah, all right."

"I love you," Jeremy said softly with a smile.

"I love you, too," Lucy replied, beaming at him.

Jeremy took her hand, and the two of them walked together into the new world.

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: I had to have Lucy stand up against Voldemort. I had to do it. I know Ron is supposed to be the one who says "He beat you!" but Lucy needed to have her moment.**_

_**I also felt like Lucy needed to duel Dolohov, for Remus and Tonks.**_

_**ALSO. This is how the final confrontation in the movie should have happened. In front of everyone, with Voldemort falling over, not disappearing again. How the movie portrays it is probably the worst part of the films... except for maybe the awkward hug between Voldemort and Draco.**_

_**Just the Epilogue to go now.**_


	25. Epilogue: 19 Years Later

_**A/N: I cannot believe that this is the end of this story, and the end of this series. I've been writing this on-and-off for around 10 years now. I can't remember exactly when I started it, but I have a very strong memory of sitting in my freshman dorm room at college writing some of the earliest stuff, and that was 10 years ago. (And now I feel old ha.)**_

_**I am going to mark this story as Complete, but as I said back in chapter 1, I am posting two more "chapters": t**__**he first will be a a Post-War Timeline, which outlines everything that happens between the end of the war and the Epilogue; t**__**he second is an Epilogue Outtake.**_

_**Anyway, here's the Epilogue! Because, of course, I had to do a 19 Years Later.**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Epilogue – 19 Years Later**

It was a bright, sunny morning; a perfect day to be leaving for Hogwarts. The nostalgia always hit Lucy Whitlock the hardest when she was walking her children into the train station. This year, she also felt an underlying sadness she'd never had before: all of her children were going to Hogwarts this year; she and her husband would be alone in their house for the next nine months.

As if sensing his wife's distress, Jeremy Whitlock slid an arm across Lucy's shoulders. He hugged her close for a moment and pressed a quick kiss against her temple.

The truth was, Lucy's nerves weren't just because they were becoming pseudo-empty nesters, and Jeremy was aware of that. Lucy worked in the Department of Magical Education at the Ministry, and her second big reform program would be put to the test at the end of the school year. The reform had swapped Muggle Studies in for Astronomy—making Muggle Studies a required class for the first five years of the students' education, and demoting Astronomy to one of the elective classes that could be chosen for third year. The reform had started five years previously with the incoming first-year class, and it would be tested at the end of the year when the now fifth-years took their O.W.L.s.

But that wasn't Lucy's main concern for the time being; instead, she was concentrating on getting her kids onto the Hogwarts Express without bursting into tears.

The Whitlocks—with Lucy's godson Teddy Lupin in tow—had arrived at the station with plenty of time to spare. The eldest—Adam—was leading the way, pushing his trolley ahead eagerly. His younger sister Gemma followed, with her twin sister Emilia struggling to keep up. Their youngest was more hesitant, choosing to stick close to his parents.

Cassian was the fourth and final Whitlock to attended Hogwarts, and he was very nervous about starting his first year. He had confided his feelings to his mother, saying, "It's too much pressure. I have three older siblings to live up to, not to mention you and Dad. And Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny and Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione—"

Lucy had replied soothingly, "Sweetheart, you are going to go to Hogwarts and be a wonderful student. You're _not_ just going to be my son or Harry's nephew or Adam's brother. You are going to be Cassian Whitlock, the one and only."

Cassian had felt a bit better after she'd said that, but now that they had reached the station, Lucy could tell that his anxiety was making a comeback. She knew that he would get over it once he got into the swing of things at Hogwarts, though.

The family had reached the barrier to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters but were stopped when they heard a shout from behind them, calling, "Lucy!"

Lucy turned around to see Noelle Watson—one of Lucy's old childhood friends from America—hurrying towards her, with her little family surrounding her.

Lucy and Noelle had reconnected after the war, and Lucy ended up inviting Noelle to come visit for a summer. While visiting, Noelle had met George Weasley, and it had been love at first sight—well, according to them, at least. Noelle hadn't wasted much time in moving to England to be with George. They got married soon after, and had two children: first a boy, whom they had aptly named Fred; and then a little girl they'd called Julia.

Noelle also got a job in the Department of Magical Education with Lucy, which really helped solidify their friendship. In fact, Noelle had helped Lucy with the current reform that they were testing.

"Good morning, Weasleys and Watsons," Lucy said with a grin.

Her oldest son Adam let out a whoop at seeing one of _his _best friends—Fred. They were in the same year at Hogwarts, and they had both been sorted into Gryffindor.

"Good morning," George said pleasantly. He looked down at Cassian—his godson—who was refusing to step away from his father's side. "Ready to start at Hogwarts, Cassian?"

Cassian fidgeted for a moment before whispering, "No."

Lucy patted him on the shoulder and explained, "He's just feeling a little nervous."

"I felt the same way before I started at Hogwarts," George said. "I had three older brothers who went before me, so I know all about what it's like to feel like you're going to be in someone's shadow. But don't worry, Cassian; you'll have a great time once you get there."

"Really?" Cassian asked, evidently still full of doubt.

"Of course," George said firmly.

Lucy grinned at him, glad that she'd asked him and Noelle to be Cassian's godparents when he was born, before saying, "We should probably get onto the platform. We're supposed to be meeting up with everyone in just a few minutes."

They all stepped up to the barrier and took turns passing through. Teddy walked briskly through first, after informing his godmother that he was going to go looking for his girlfriend. Adam and Fred went running through next, followed by Jeremy. George went next, followed by Julia, Gemma, Emilia, and Noelle.

Lucy put her hand on the handle of Cassian's trolley. "Ready?" she asked him.

"Ready," Cassian said. He and his mother strode forward briskly, and he flinched as they reached the barrier. They passed through with no problems, joining up with the rest of their family on the other side.

"So, Teddy's already gone, then?" Lucy asked her husband with a smirk.

"He had disappeared before I even made it through," Jeremy reported, chuckling. Then he switched subjects, saying, "I think I saw Daphne and Jake just over there."

So, the two families made their way down the train and met up with Daphne Greengrass and Jake Fletcher, who were standing with four of their six children. Their two youngest weren't old enough to go to Hogwarts yet; Lucy assumed that they were home with their Grandma Fletcher. Their daughter Olive was starting her first year at school, just like Cassian.

After exchanging greetings, Daphne surveyed all the children surrounding them and said, "Can you believe that we were all once this small?"

"Part of me misses going to school," Lucy commented, looking wistfully at the train. "I think it's just the part of me that doesn't want to be a responsible adult."

Some of her friends chuckled at that. Their children looked around impatiently, not paying attention to the conversation going on between their parents.

Soon enough, they were joined by Sally-Anne and Oliver Rivers. With them was their daughter Theresa; their other two younger children had been left at home. Theresa quickly joined Gemma and Emilia—they were all the same age, and although none of them had been sorted into the same house, they were still very good friends—while Sally-Anne and Oliver greeted the adults.

"Lucy!"

Lucy turned to see Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley pushing through the crowd with their children Rose and Hugo. Rose was going to be a first-year at Hogwarts that year, and she looked very excited. She already had her robes on, reminding Lucy of a young Hermione.

Grinning down at the girl, Lucy asked, "Are you ready to get to Hogwarts, Rose?"

"Yes," Rose said, beaming. "I can't wait to get there!"

Looking up, Lucy noticed that Hermione's eyes had grown misty. Lucy couldn't help the small smile that grew on her face; she remembered what it was like when she had to watch Adam go off to school for the first time.

Then Lucy checked her watch; it was almost time for the train to leave the station.

Jeremy noticed the time, as well, and he said, "I suppose we'd better get you all onto the train. Lead the way, Adam."

The various families split up as their children ran towards the train. Lucy and Jeremy helped lift all four of their children's trunks onto the train, and Ron and Hermione lifted Rose's up behind them.

"Have you seen Harry or Ginny?" Lucy asked once all the trunks had been hoisted into the train.

"Not yet," Ron answered.

"I hope we'll see them soon," Hermione said. "Ginny was telling me that Albus was worried sick about what house he was going to be sorted into."

"Yeah, Cassian has been feeling a bit anxious all morning, as well," Lucy said with a frown. "He was telling me that he was scared that he wouldn't live up to the expectations. He thinks he'll just be known as Harry's nephew or my son or Adam's brother."

"Rose mentioned something similar to me last night," Hermione confessed.

Their conversation was interrupted by Harry and Ginny appearing. Their son Albus, who was starting at Hogwarts that year, and daughter Lily were with them. Their eldest son was nowhere to be found.

"Where's James?" Lucy asked immediately with a knowing smirk.

"Went ahead, of course," Ginny replied as Harry greeted Ron and Hermione. "He really was well-named."

"Parked all right, then?" Ron asked Harry. "I did. Hermione didn't believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I'd have to Confund the examiner."

"No, I didn't," Hermione replied indignantly. "I had complete faith in you." Harry and Ron moved away to get Albus's trunk onto the train, and Hermione muttered to Lucy and Ginny, "You know, I'm pretty sure he _did_ Confund the examiner."

"That would _not_ surprise me," Ginny said with a roll of her eyes.

Meanwhile, Lily and Hugo had begun a discussion about which house they would be sorted into when they went to Hogwarts. They were the same age but wouldn't be starting at Hogwarts for another two years. Cassian, Albus, and Rose remained quiet, all looking anxious, while Adam, Gemma, and Emilia looked a little bored.

Harry and Ron returned from the train a moment later, and when they heard what Lily and Hugo were talking about, Ron told Rose, "If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you—but no pressure."

"_Ron_!" Lucy and Hermione snapped at him at the same time.

Lily, Hugo, Adam, Gemma, and Emilia all laughed. The new first-years, however, exchanged horrified glances.

"He doesn't mean it," Hermione and Ginny said together.

"Look who it is," Ron said, looking at someone a bit further away.

Lucy craned her head to see Draco Malfoy standing next to a woman whom Lucy knew had to be his wife Astoria—Daphne's younger sister. There was a small boy standing between them. Draco glanced up towards them to see them all looking at him. He gave them a sharp nod before looking away again.

"So, _that's_ little Scorpius," Ron murmured. "Make sure you beat him in every test, Rosie. Thank Merlin you inherited your mother's brains."

"Ron, for heaven's sake," Hermione groaned. "Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!"

"You're right—sorry," Ron said. Then, after a second, he continued, "Don't get _too_ friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood."

"Hey!" The group turned to see James joining them, looking excited about something. "Teddy's back there," he went on, gesturing behind him. "Just seen him! And guess what he's doing? _Snogging Victoire_!"

Victoire Weasley was the eldest daughter of Bill and Fleur Weasley. She had been born two years after the Battle of Hogwarts, and she was beginning her final year of Hogwarts. Teddy had been dating her for the past few years. Victoire had a younger sister Dominique, who was also at Hogwarts, and a younger brother Louis.

James grinned widely, waiting for their reactions, but nobody gave him the one he was looking for. "_Our_ Teddy!" he said again. "_Teddy Lupin_! Snogging _our_ Victoire! _Our_ cousin! And I asked Teddy what he was doing—"

"You interrupted them?" Ginny cut in. "You are _so_ like Ron—"

"—and he said he'd come to see her off!" James continued. "And then he told me to go away. He's _snogging_ her!"

"Well, when you get old enough to snog someone, maybe you'll understand why he told you to go away," Lucy said with a shake of her head.

"Oh, it would be lovely if they got married!" Lily said, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. She reminded Lucy of a young Ginny. "Teddy would _really_ be part of the family then!"

"He already comes 'round for dinner about four times a week," Harry said. "Why don't we just invite him to live with us and have done with it?"

"Yeah!" James said. "I don't mind sharing with Al—Teddy could have my room!"

"No," Harry said swiftly. "You and Al will share a room only when I want the house demolished."

"Then you could build a new one," Lucy said, winking at Ginny. Harry made a face at his twin sister, and she admitted, "We've actually been thinking the same thing, especially now that all of our kids are going to be out of the house—inviting Teddy to come live with us, I mean."

"I suppose you do have more room in your house," Ginny said thoughtfully.

James started, "But—!"

"It's not like you'll even be home to see him," Ginny interrupted before he could finish whining.

"I think Teddy is quite comfortable with his grandmother," Lucy added. "He's been with her his whole life, and he'll leave when he's ready to."

Jeremy checked his watch and announced to the children, "It's nearly eleven; you'd better get on board."

Lucy gathered her children around herself and Jeremy. "Now, you _behave _yourselves this year," she began, looking pointedly at Adam. "I know you and Fred like to live up to his namesake, but please—I want as few owls as possible about you, okay? And make sure you look after your little brother, all of you—especially if he's sorted into your house."

"What if he's sorted into Hufflepuff?" Gemma asked. "One in each house—that'd be interesting, wouldn't it?"

The anxious look returned to Cassian's face.

"It doesn't matter which house Cassian gets sorted into," Jeremy said firmly. "He'll be great, no matter where he ends up—right, Cass?"

Cassian nodded slowly.

"Don't forget to say hello to Neville for us if you see him, and make sure you look after little Alice, too," Lucy went on.

Neville Longbottom was still one of Lucy's best friends. After the battle, Neville had started dating Hannah Abbott. Eventually, they got married. Hannah had confided in Lucy that they'd tried starting a family before getting married, but it had been very difficult for them. But finally, Hannah had gotten pregnant and gave birth to a little girl that they named Alice Franklin—in honor of both of Neville's parents and Hannah's mother, whose maiden name had been Franklin. Alice was starting at Hogwarts that year, as well.

"Now, come here and give your mother a hug," Lucy instructed.

One by one, her children let her hug them tightly and kiss their heads. They exchanged farewells with their father, as well, before getting onto the train. Adam, Gemma, and Emilia waved out the windows to their parents before setting off to find their friends. Cassian remained behind with Rose. Albus was the only one missing. Lucy looked around to see Harry crouched in front of his son, having a private conversation.

A minute later, Albus hopped up onto the train, which was getting ready to leave. Albus, Rose, and Cassian stuck their heads out the windows, looking curiously at all the glances that Harry was now drawing.

"Why are they all _staring_?" Albus asked.

"Don't let it worry you," Ron said immediately. "It's me. I'm extremely famous."

"You _wish_ you were extremely famous," Lucy quipped.

The children all laughed as the clock in the station struck eleven.

Then the train lurched forward and slowly began to pull away from the station. The adults waved towards the children, who waved back. Harry walked along the train for a few steps, stopping a few feet away when the train had picked up speed.

They all seemed to gravitate toward each other as they watched the train leave: Lucy and Jeremy; Ginny and Harry; Hermione and Ron; Noelle and George; Sally-Anne and Oliver; Daphne and Jake; Fleur and Bill; and even Percy and his wife Audrey, who had been seeing off their daughters Molly and Grace.

Lucy took a deep breath; it had finally hit her that all four of her children were heading off to school. They were growing up so quickly. It had seemed like only yesterday that she was the one boarding the train and going off to Hogwarts.

"You all right?" Jeremy asked, wrapping an arm around her waist.

Lucy leaned against him. "Yes," she replied. She watched as the train disappeared from view, a faint smile on her lips. "Time for them to have some adventures."

**The End**

* * *

_**A/N: I'm not sure how much I want to talk about some of the stuff in the Epilogue, since I'm not sure how much of it people will really be interested in it. Plus, some of it is in the Timeline I'm posting next.**_

_**First, here's some information about Lucy's children:**_

**_Adam Remus Whitlock is the eldest. He's sorted into Gryffindor house and is starting his fourth year. He's named after Remus Lupin. Neville and Hannah Longbottom are his godparents._**

**_Gemma Mary Whitlock and Emilia Nymphadora Whitlock are twins. Gemma is in Slytherin, and Emilia is in Ravenclaw. They are both starting their second years. Gemma is named after Jeremy's friend Mary Poole, who died in the Battle of Hogwarts, and Emilia is named after Nymphadora Tonks. Sally-Anne and Oliver Rivers are their godparents._**

**_Cassian Sirius Whitlock is the youngest. He is beginning his first year, and he is sorted into Hufflepuff. He is named for Sirius Black. Noelle Watson and George Weasley are his godparents._**

**_I never liked the idea that George ends up with Angelina. In this series, Angelina was Fred's girlfriend. I'm sure you could argue that George and Angelina helped each other through the grief, but I just can't picture that happening. It just makes it feel like Angelina's trying to replace Fred with George instead of moving on properly, and I'm sure that George would always wonder in the back of his head if she was only with him because he looked like Fred. SO to avoid all that, I decided that George needed to be with someone who never met Fred but was able to emotionally support him through the hard times. Enter Noelle!_**

**_I also gave Neville and Hannah a daughter. I couldn't help myself. Besides, if I decided to do some kind of sequel from the kids' point of view, I think she'd be a good character to have._**

**_Percy's daughters' names are supposed to be Molly and Lucy. I originally thought that their daughter Lucy would have been named by her mother, maybe after someone she knew or she'd just always liked the name. In the end, I just didn't like it, so I changed Percy's second daughter's name to Grace instead._**

**_Done. This story is officially done, especially if you're not interested in the Post-War Timeline or the Epilogue Outtake. But if you are interested in those, stay tuned!_**


	26. Post-War Timeline

_**A/N: Here is the Post-War Timeline! Which was really hard to format, since FFnet doesn't like lists.**_

_**There's a lot more stuff at the beginning of the timeline than at the end, for obvious reasons. But I figured someone might be interested in what jobs the characters have, and when they get married, and how many kids they have (if any), and what houses their kids are in, etc.**_

_**For the record, The Cursed Child does not exist in my canon. I used it to help place some of the kids into their houses, and I let Hermione become Minister of Magic, but otherwise, that whole story doesn't happen in this AU. (I wasn't a fan, if you can't tell. lol)**_

* * *

**Post-War Timeline**

1998

May 2 – Kingsley Shacklebolt becomes the Caretaker Minister of Magic

May 5 – Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley officially start dating

May 27 – Daphne Greengrass and Jake Fletcher get engaged

June 17 – Jeremy Whitlock's father Gareth Whitlock is found guilty on multiple charges and sentenced to life in Azkaban - Jeremy's mother Eveline Whitlock quietly divorces her husband; she wins a quarter of the Whitlock fortune and the France house; and she moves back to France to be with her family - The entire Whitlock estate, the rest of the Whitlock fortune, and all of Gareth's belongings are left to Jeremy

July 1 – Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Neville Longbottom join the Auror Office at the Ministry of Magic to help track down and arrest the remaining Death Eaters that are on the run

July 6 – Professor Minerva McGonagall is declared as the Headmistress at Hogwarts

July 15 – The Ministry announces that all students at Hogwarts will repeat their previous school year (i.e., if they were in the third year in the 1997-1998 school year, they will repeat the third year in the 1998-1999 school year) - This also means that the first-year class would be twice as large as usual, filled with students repeating their first year and those who were starting Hogwarts for the first time - Deadline for students to decide whether they would return to Hogwarts: July 31 - A make-up date to take the N.E.W.T. exams is set for mid-August for any seventh-years that do not want to return

July 31 – These seventh-years decide to not take/repeat their seventh year:  
Lavender Brown (Gryffindor) _[deceased]  
_Millicent Bullstrode (Slytherin)  
Sherman Campbell (Hufflepuff)  
Stephen Cornfoot (Ravenclaw)  
Vincent Crabbe (Slytherin) _[deceased]  
_Gregory Goyle (Slytherin)  
Wayne Hopkins (Hufflepuff)  
Neville Longbottom (Gryffindor)  
Draco Malfoy (Slytherin)  
Theodore Nott (Slytherin)  
Edward Park (Ravenclaw)  
Harry Potter (Gryffindor)  
Veronica Runcorn (Slytherin)  
Ron Weasley (Gryffindor)

August 16 – Quidditch World Cup – Malawi (260) vs Senegal (180)  
In attendance at the Quidditch World Cup  
Lucy Jones & Jeremy Whitlock  
Ginny Weasley & Harry Potter  
Hermione Granger & Ron Weasley  
George Weasley  
Neville Longbottom  
Luna Lovegood  
Sally-Anne Perks & Oliver Rivers  
Daphne Greengrass & Jake Fletcher  
Fleur & Bill Weasley  
Charlie Weasley  
Percy Weasley  
Molly & Arthur Weasley

August 19 – Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter officially begin dating (again)

September 1 – Lucy Jones, Jeremy Whitlock, Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger, Hannah Abbott, Luna Lovegood, Sally-Anne Perks, Oliver Rivers, Daphne Greengrass, Jake Fletcher, and the rest of the Hogwarts students leave Platform 9 and ¾ on the Hogwarts Express

* * *

1999

February 20 – Audrey Pierce and Percy Weasley officially begin dating

May 3 – Kingsley Shacklebolt is officially elected as the Minister of Magic

May 10 – Percy Weasley accepts a job in the Department of Magical Transportation at the Ministry of Magic

June 26 – Lucy Jones, Jeremy Whitlock, Hermione Granger, Hannah Abbott, Sally-Anne Perks, Oliver Rivers, Daphne Greengrass, Jake Fletcher, and the rest of the seventh-years graduate from Hogwarts

June 26 – Lucy Jones moves in with Jeremy Whitlock at the Whitlock estate

July 29 – Hermione accepts a job in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures at the Ministry of Magic

August 1 – Noelle Watson visits Lucy Jones at her invitation and meets Lucy's friends - Noelle and George Weasley hit it off, much to Lucy's delight

August 11 – Sally-Anne Perks and Oliver Rivers get engaged

August 17 – Jeremy Whitlock accepts a job in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic

September 1 – Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood leave Platform 9 and ¾ on the Hogwarts Express

September 6 – Sally-Anne Perks joins the Auror Office at the Ministry of Magic

September 16 – Daphne Greengrass accepts a job as a column writer at the _Daily Prophet_

October 15 – Lucy Jones accepts a job in the Department of Magical Education at the Ministry of Magic

December 25 – Daphne Greengrass marries Jake Fletcher (and keeps her name)

* * *

2000

January 3 – Hannah Abbott and Neville Longbottom officially begin dating

February 15 – Noelle Watson officially moves to England and temporarily lives with Lucy Jones and Jeremy Whitlock - Noelle also accepts a job in the Department of Magical Education with Lucy, who thinks that having her experience from Ilvermorny will help with educational reform

March 20 – Noelle Watson and George Weasley officially begin dating

April 4 – Jake Fletcher accepts a job in the Department of Magical Games and Sports at the Ministry of Magic

April 18 – Audrey Pierce and Percy Weasley get engaged

May 2 – Fleur Weasley gives birth to hers and Bill Weasley's first daughter: Victoire Abigail Weasley

June 24 – Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood graduate from Hogwarts

June 26 – Ginny Weasley joins the Quidditch team the Holyhead Harpies

July 18 – Luna Lovegood begins her job as a Magizoologist

August 12 – Audrey Pierce marries Percy Weasley (and takes his name)

September 26 – Hannah Abbott becomes the new landlady at the Leaky Cauldron, and Neville Longbottom moves in with her

November 11 – Noelle Watson and George Weasley get engaged

December 3 – Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley get engaged

* * *

2001

February 16 – Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter get engaged

February 21 – Lucy Jones and Noelle Watson present their first big piece of educational reform to the Department of Magical Education, which is accepted by majority-rules vote - The reform hires more teachers so that there is more than one professor per subject and class sizes will become smaller

April 21 – Noelle Watson marries George Weasley (and keeps her name)

June 23 – Sally-Anne Perks marries Oliver Rivers (and takes his name)

August 6 – Neville Longbottom leaves the Auror Department to accept the post of the second Herbology professor at Hogwarts

August 21 – Daphne Greengrass gives birth to hers and Jake Fletcher's first daughter: Holly Nicole Fletcher

October 6 – Lucy Jones marries Jeremy Whitlock (and takes his name)

December 2 – Astoria Greengrass and Draco Malfoy officially begin dating

December 25 – Doreen Allen and Dennis Creevey officially begin dating

* * *

2002

March 2 – Ginny Weasley marries Harry Potter (and takes his name)

May 11 – Hermione Granger marries Ron Weasley (and keeps her name)

August 3 – Quidditch World Cup – Egypt (450) vs Bulgaria (300)  
In attendance of the Quidditch World Cup  
Lucy & Jeremy Whitlock  
Ginny & Harry Potter  
Hermione Granger & Ron Weasley  
Noelle Watson & George Weasley  
Hannah Abbott & Neville Longbottom  
Luna Lovegood  
Sally-Anne & Oliver Rivers  
Daphne Greengrass & Jake Fletcher  
Fleur & Bill Weasley  
Charlie Weasley  
Audrey & Percy Weasley

August 19 – Fleur Weasley gives birth to hers and Bill Weasley's second daughter: Dominique Hannah Weasley

December 29 – Daphne Greengrass gives birth to hers and Jake Fletcher's second daughter: Lola Eleanor Greengrass

* * *

2003

January 24 – Astoria Greengrass and Draco Malfoy get engaged

January 26 – Noelle Watson gives birth to hers and George Weasley's son: Fred Brandon Weasley (II)

February 27 – Lucy Whitlock gives birth to hers and Jeremy Whitlock's first son: Adam Remus Whitlock

June 3 – Ron Weasley leaves the Auror Office to help his brother George Weasley run Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes

June 10 – Hannah Abbott and Neville Longbottom get engaged

June 21 – Astoria Greengrass marries Draco Malfoy (and takes his name)

October 26 – Ginny Potter gives birth to hers and Harry Potter's first son: James Sirius Potter (II)

November 15 – Luna Lovegood and Rolf Scamander officially begin dating

* * *

2004

March 9 – Noelle Watson gives birth to hers and George Weasley's daughter: Julia Lucy Weasley

April 22 – Daphne Greengrass gives birth to hers and Jake Fletcher's first son: Erik Dylan Fletcher

June 27 – Audrey Weasley gives birth to hers and Percy Weasley's first daughter: Molly Amber Weasley (II)

July 10 – Hannah Abbott marries Neville Longbottom (and takes his name)

October 25 – Doreen Allen and Dennis Creevey get engaged

December 5 – Sally-Anne Rivers gives birth to hers and Oliver Rivers's first daughter: Theresa Isabel Rivers

* * *

2005

January 14 – Ron Weasley becomes the manager of the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes location in Hogsmeade

February 28 – Percy Weasley becomes Head of the Department of Magical Transportation at the Ministry of Magic

May 26 – Lucy Whitlock gives birth to hers and Jeremy Whitlock's twin daughters: Gemma Mary Whitlock and Emilia Nymphadora Whitlock

July 18 – Hannah Longbottom accepts a job as Matron of Hogwarts

August 26 – Luna Lovegood and Rolf Scamander get engaged

September 28 – Daphne Greengrass gives birth to hers and Jake Fletcher's third daughter: Olive Paige Greengrass

December 28 – Ginny Potter gives birth to hers and Harry Potter's second son: Albus Severus Potter (II)

* * *

2006

March 2 – Audrey Weasley gives birth to hers and Percy Weasley's second daughter: Grace Alice Weasley

March 18 – Doreen Allen marries Dennis Creevey (and takes his name)

March 24 – Hannah Longbottom gives birth to hers and Neville Longbottom's daughter: Alice Franklin Longbottom (II)

April 24 – Hermione Granger accepts a job in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic

June 14 – Astoria Malfoy gives birth to hers and Draco Malfoy's son: Scorpius Abraxas Malfoy

July 3 – Hermione Granger gives birth to hers and Ron Weasley's daughter: Rose Mia Weasley-Granger

July 18 – Lucy Whitlock gives birth to hers and Jeremy Whitlock's second son: Cassian Sirius Whitlock

August 11 – Quidditch World Cup – Burkina Faso (300) vs France (220)  
In attendance of the Quidditch World Cup  
Lucy & Jeremy Whitlock  
Ginny & Harry Potter  
Teddy Lupin  
Ron Weasley  
Noelle Watson & George Weasley  
Neville Longbottom  
Luna Lovegood  
Sally-Anne & Oliver Rivers  
Daphne Greengrass & Jake Fletcher  
Fleur & Bill Weasley, with Victoire  
Charlie Weasley  
Percy Weasley

* * *

2007

April 23 – Harry Potter becomes Head of the Auror Office at the Ministry of Magic

May 6 – Fleur Weasley gives birth to hers and Bill Weasley's son: Louis Jacob Weasley

May 19 – Luna Lovegood marries Rolf Scamander (and keeps her name)

October 21 – Doreen Creevey gives birth to hers and Dennis Creevey's son: Colin William Creevey (II)

November 19 – Daphne Greengrass gives birth to hers and Jake Fletcher's fourth daughter: Kelsey Bethany Fletcher

* * *

2008

March 21 – Hermione Granger gives birth to hers and Ron Weasley's son: Hugo Matthew Weasley-Granger

April 7 – Sally-Anne Rivers gives birth to hers and Oliver Rivers's second daughter: Vanessa Sophia Rivers

July 23 – Ginny Potter gives birth to hers and Harry Potter's daughter: Lily Luna Potter (II)

* * *

2009

April 13 – Luna Lovegood gives birth to hers and Rolf Scamander's twin sons: Lorcan Matthew Scamander and Lysander Alfie Scamander

July 30 – Daphne Greengrass gives birth to hers and Jake Fletcher's second son: Ian Alexander Greengrass

August 20 – Sally-Anne Rivers gives birth to hers and Oliver Rivers's son: Neil Ethan Rivers

September 1 – New first-year students are sorted into their Hogwarts houses  
Teddy Lupin: Hufflepuff

* * *

2010

February 6 – Ginny Potter plays in her final match for the Holyhead Harpies, after which she retires from the sport

July 27 – Quidditch World Cup – Moldova (750) vs China (640)  
In attendance at the Quidditch World Cup  
Lucy & Jeremy Whitlock, with Adam  
Ginny & Harry Potter, with James  
Teddy Lupin  
Hermione Granger & Ron Weasley  
Noelle Watson & George Weasley, with Fred  
Hannah & Neville Longbottom  
Luna Lovegood & Rolf Scamander  
Sally-Anne & Oliver Rivers  
Daphne Greengrass & Jake Fletcher, with Holly, Lola, and Erik  
Fleur & Bill Weasley, with Victoire and Dominique  
Charlie Weasley  
Audrey & Percy Weasley

October 12 – Ginny Potter accepts a job at the _Daily Prophet_, writing as their Senior Quidditch Editor

* * *

2011

September 1 – New first-year students are sorted into their Hogwarts houses  
Victoire Weasley: Ravenclaw

* * *

2012

May 15 – Lucy Whitlock and Noelle Watson present their next big piece of educational reform to the Department of Magical Education, which is accepted to have a trial run starting in 2013

September 1 – New first-year students are sorted into their Hogwarts houses  
Holly Fletcher: Slytherin

* * *

2013

September 1 – Lucy Whitlock's and Noelle Watson's educational reform begins as a trial - The first part of the reform begins as such: Muggle Studies is made a mandatory class starting for the new first-years, and Astronomy is not taught to the new first-years

September 1 – New first-year students are sorted into their Hogwarts houses  
Dominique Weasley: Gryffindor

* * *

2014

July 11 – Quidditch World Cup – Bulgaria (160) vs Brazil (70)  
In attendance of the Quidditch World Cup  
Lucy & Jeremy Whitlock, with Adam, Gemma, Emilia, and Cassian  
Ginny & Harry Potter with James, Albus, and Lily  
Teddy Lupin  
Hermione Granger & Ron Weasley, with Rose and Hugo  
Noelle Watson & George Weasley, with Fred and Julia  
Hannah & Neville Longbottom, with Alice  
Luna Lovegood & Rolf Scamander  
Sally-Anne & Oliver Rivers, with Theresa and Vanessa  
Daphne Greengrass & Jake Fletcher, with Holly, Lola, Erik, Olive, and Kelsey  
Fleur & Bill Weasley, with Victoire, Dominique, and Louis  
Charlie Weasley  
Audrey & Percy Weasley, with Molly and Grace

September 1 – New first-year students are sorted into their Hogwarts houses  
Lola Greengrass: Slytherin  
Fred Weasley: Gryffindor  
Adam Whitlock: Gryffindor

November 3 – Hermione Granger is elected as the Minister of Magic

* * *

2015

September 1 – The second part of Lucy Whitlock's & Noelle Watson's educational reform begins - Third-years are able to study Astronomy as one of the elective classes chosen for this year

September 1 – New first-year students are sorted into their Hogwarts houses  
Erik Fletcher: Hufflepuff  
James Potter: Gryffindor  
Julia Weasley: Gryffindor  
Molly Weasley: Gryffindor

* * *

2016

September 1 – New first-year students are sorted into their Hogwarts houses  
Theresa Rivers: Hufflepuff  
Emilia Whitlock: Ravenclaw  
Gemma Whitlock: Slytherin

* * *

2017

September 1 – New first-year students are sorted into their Hogwarts houses  
Olive Greengrass: Hufflepuff  
Alice Longbottom: Hufflepuff  
Scorpius Malfoy: Slytherin  
Albus Potter: Slytherin  
Grace Weasley: Gryffindor  
Rose Weasley-Granger: Gryffindor  
Cassian Whitlock: Hufflepuff

* * *

_**A/N: I will be posting the Epilogue Outtake next!**_


	27. Epilogue Outtake

_**A/N: So like**__** I said before, I originally wanted to have a two-part Epilogue. The first part is what you can read here. Unfortunately, it got too long for my taste, and I didn't want to end up with like a five-part Epilogue. It'd be like the end of Return of the King, where it had too many endings, and people wouldn't want to read the final Epilogue, which I think is more important.**_

_**However, I put plenty of thought and time into this, so I figured I'd share it at the end as an outtake.**_

_**I was thinking about maybe doing some kind of sequel that was an extended Epilogue, so I could actually write this out like I wanted, but it wouldn't bog down the end of this story. I'm still thinking about it. Not sure I'd actually do it, but at the same time...**_

* * *

**Epilogue Part 1 – Windows**

**September 1, 1998**

Lucy looked around Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, a bit of anxiety filling her chest. She was surrounded by some of her friends: Jeremy, Hermione, Ginny, and Luna. It seemed surreal to her, going back to Hogwarts, especially without Harry, Ron, or Neville.

**~LJ:TW~**

The last four months since Harry had defeated Voldemort had been very difficult for Lucy. The first two had definitely been the hardest. Lucy couldn't bear to go back to living in Sirius's cabin in the woods; there were too many memories of Remus and Tonks there. She only went back once during that time: to help Andromeda and Teddy move out, and to collect her cat Evie and her Pygmy Puff Orion.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had come through for her, as they always had. They let Lucy and Jeremy stay at the Burrow until they could find their own living arrangements. All of the Weasleys—including Bill and Fleur, even though they had their own place—plus Harry and Hermione stayed at the Burrow, as well, making it quite cramped, but Lucy found it comforting to have everyone around her.

However, the grief following the battle nearly choked the house for the first few weeks. There was so much that they all had to work through, especially Fred's death and Harry's PTSD, which was manifesting in horrible nightmares and panic attacks.

There were two good things that happened right after the battle, though: first, Ron and Hermione officially started dating only a few days after they returned to the Burrow. Now Mrs. Weasley had to try and keep them in separate bedrooms, along with Lucy and Jeremy. Secondly, Daphne and Jake got engaged, much to Lucy's and Jeremy's delight.

**~LJ:TW~**

Thankfully, Kingsley Shacklebolt had been made the temporary Minister of Magic, and he had rallied what was left of the Ministry wonderfully. The first thing they did was to get rid of the dementors guarding Azkaban, and then they start rounding up the Death Eaters that were on the run after Voldemort was killed.

**~LJ:TW~**

At the beginning of June, Jeremy's mother Eveline had sent Jeremy a message: Jeremy's father Gareth had been arrested and was awaiting trial. Eveline, who hadn't seen her son in nearly two years, begged Jeremy to come to his father's trial. Lucy and Jeremy discussed it, and Lucy ended up convincing Jeremy to go, at least to support his mother.

The trial, while an awkward place for Lucy to meet her fiancé's mother for the first time, was pretty quick. There was plenty of evidence against Gareth, and he did not try to defend himself. He was sentenced to life in Azkaban. Some Ministry officials offered Jeremy and Eveline a chance to have one last conversation with Gareth, but they both refused.

After the trial, Eveline quietly filed for divorce. Out of the divorce, she got about a quarter of the Whitlock fortune and the France house. She immediately moved back to France, where she could be close to her family. This left the rest of the fortune and the Whitlock estate to Jeremy.

Jeremy had never wanted to live in his family's house. He was hesitant to move back in, so instead, he and Lucy decided to stay with the Weasleys until they decided whether they were going to live at the Whitlocks' mansion, Sirius's cabin in the woods, or get their own place.

**~LJ:TW~**

On July first, Kingsley came to the Burrow with an offer for Lucy, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Jeremy. The Auror Office was busy tracking down and arresting the remaining Death Eaters, and they were willing to put the five of them on a fast track to becoming Aurors. It was an easy decision for Lucy; as much as she wanted to help, she had never wanted to be an Auror. Jeremy and Hermione chose not to join, either, but Harry and Ron eagerly signed up.

**~LJ:TW~**

About a week later, Professor McGonagall was officially declared as the next Headmistress of Hogwarts. And then a week after that, the Ministry announced the fate of the next school year. All students who were planning on attending that year would have to repeat their previous year. Because of the battle, the school year had ended earlier than normal, and nobody had taken their exams. This also gave any students who hadn't come to school the previous year the opportunity to continue with their education. However, with everyone repeating their past year, it meant that the first-year class would be twice as large as usual—the first-years who were repeating their past year, and the first-years who were coming to Hogwarts for the first time.

There was one exception: the students who had been seventh-years the year prior. They were given the choice to return to Hogwarts, with a deadline of July thirty-first to send an owl with their decision. The Ministry was offering a day in August for those who didn't want to attend Hogwarts but wanted to take their N.E.W.T. exams.

Hermione immediately decided that she was going to go back to Hogwarts for her seventh year. Harry and Ron, since they were working with the Auror Office, opted not to return. That left Lucy and Jeremy to make their decision. Lucy spent many nights contemplating whether she should go back to school, and ultimately decided that she should. Jeremy came to the same conclusion just after she did; they both figured that, since they didn't have jobs at the moment, they might as well try to advance their education.

**~LJ:TW~**

Halfway through August, Lucy and her friends were invited to the final match of the Quidditch World Cup. They were even given a special box to sit in as thanks for helping save the Wizarding world from Voldemort. The people in the box with Lucy were Jeremy; Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Luna; Sally-Anne and Oliver; Daphne and Jake; and the rest of the Weasleys—Ron, Ginny, George, Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Percy, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

Because of the recent battle, and what had happened at the last World Cup, the security had been greatly increased that year. Lucy was honestly happy that the security seemed to be working; the entire match went off without a hitch, with the exception of Senegal's mascots nearly getting sent off from the field. Malawi beat Senegal 260 to 180, and all in all, it was a very enjoyable night.

**~LJ:TW~**

Before Lucy knew it, it was September first. Mr. Weasley had escorted Lucy, Jeremy, Hermione, and Ginny to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. After they had said good-bye to Mr. Weasley, they immediately met up with Luna, but they hadn't gotten onto the train yet.

"I'm weirdly nervous," Lucy finally admitted to the others. "After everything that happened last year… and now we're going back to school like nothing happened…"

"It's definitely going to be weird," Jeremy agreed, putting his arm around Lucy's shoulders comfortingly.

"But finishing our education is very important," Hermione said, repeating her mantra for what seemed to be the millionth time since she'd decided to go back to school. She had been having a rough time lately; not only was she leaving Ron behind—they were going to be trying the long-distance thing—but she had tracked down her parents about a month prior and lifted the Memory Charm she'd placed on them. When she'd explained to them what she'd done, they were upset, and her relationship with them had been strained ever since.

"I agree," Lucy said. "That's why I'm here, too. Doesn't mean it's not going to be weird."

"I'm more interested in seeing who all is going to be here and who decided not to come back," Jeremy commented. "Daphne and Jake are both coming back."

"I just realized that Seamus and Dean are going to have their dormitory to themselves," Lucy said with a giggle. "Neville's working in the Auror Office with Harry and Ron."

"We should get onto the train, I suppose," Ginny suggested. She, too, seemed a little bummed out. Just after they'd gotten back from the Quidditch World Cup, Harry had asked her out again, but they hadn't had a lot of time to reconnect before Ginny had to go back to school.

The five of them stepped up to the train and filed inside one-by-one. Before Lucy climbed on, she paused and looked towards the front of the train. A small smile formed on her face; even after everything that had happened, she was excited to finish her final year of school, so that she could move on to the next part of her life.

**~LJ:TW~**

**June 26, 1999**

The past school year had flown by. Lucy couldn't believe that she was now a Hogwarts graduate. Earlier that day, she'd stood up with the rest of the seventh-years in the Great Hall, while the remainder of the school applauded them. Then they'd crossed the lake in the same boats that they had in their first year.

**~LJ:TW~**

The beginning of the year had been a bit of a struggle for Lucy. Since she hadn't been in formal classrooms in over a year, it was difficult to get back into the swing of things. She found that she'd forgotten a few more things than she thought she had. However, she felt like she did well on her N.E.W.T. exams at the end of the year, and she'd had a lot of fun times with her remaining friends.

Outside of the castle, life continued on, as well. Lucy had given Harry and Ron one of her two-way mirrors so that they could call each other, which they often did. Lucy made sure that both couples—Harry and Ginny, and Hermione and Ron—had plenty of time to have private conversations with one another.

Harry and Ron also kept them up to date on what was happening in the real world. The Ministry was still rounding up former Death Eaters and Snatchers to put them on trial. In May, Kingsley Shacklebolt was officially elected as the Minister of Magic, and he was continuing to improve the inner workings of the Ministry.

The rest of the Weasleys continued their various jobs, with the exception of Percy, who was staying at home with his mother, and was also helping George out with not only the joke shop, but also working through his grief at losing his twin. In February, Ron told Lucy and the others that Percy had started dating a girl named Audrey Pierce, and then in May, Percy accepted a job at the Ministry again, this time in the Department of Magical Transportation.

**~LJ:TW~**

Lucy rode the train home in a compartment with Jeremy, Ginny, Luna, Hermione, Sally-Anne, Oliver, Daphne, and Jake. It had been a bit cramped, but they had a lot of fun playing Exploding Snap and eating candy from the trolley. For most of them, it would be the last time they ever got to do it.

When they had gotten to London, they went their respective ways. Hermione was going home to her parents to try and repair her relationship with them, and Ginny was, of course, going back to the Burrow with her family.

Lucy and Jeremy, on the other hand, had finally decided that they were going to move into the Whitlock family estate, with the idea that they would be remodeling the entire house. It was probably going to take a while—Jeremy said that there were things from multiple generations still in the house—but Lucy felt like it would be a good project for them to tackle.

Firstly, however, they needed to let Mrs. Weasley know, and she took it just about as well as two years prior, when Lucy had told her that she would be staying at Sirius's cabin instead of going to the Burrow.

"You can't go and live on your own!" Mrs. Weasley gasped after Lucy had told her the plan. "You're not even married, for one thing—"

"Mrs. Weasley, I love you and appreciate everything you've done for me," Lucy interrupted, "but Jeremy and I don't care about whether we're married or not. Besides, we're engaged, and we plan on being engaged for a while—at least long enough to get ourselves settled with our house and our jobs, whatever those end up being."

Mrs. Weasley looked tearful, and she quietly sobbed into her husband's shoulder.

"It'll be all right, Molly," Mr. Weasley said soothingly. "This is what happens when they grow up; they have to go and find their own way." There was a pause, and then Mr. Weasley added, "You all seem to be moving out around the same time. Harry and Ron are looking for a flat together that'll be closer to their office, Hermione's off home with her parents, and Percy just moved into his own place last month."

"At least I don't have to share my room anymore," Ginny joked, trying to lighten the mood.

**~LJ:TW~**

Twenty minutes later, Lucy and Jeremy had Apparated to the Whitlock manor. Lucy was a bit nervous about it. Two years ago, Lucy and Jeremy had spent practically their whole summer together, but there had been other people in the house. Now this house—this _mansion_—was theirs.

"Master Jeremy!" Boppin, Jeremy's family's house-elf, came bounding down the stairs into the foyer.

"Hello, Boppin," Jeremy greeted. "Boppin, this is my fiancée Lucy Jones. Lucy, this is my house-elf Boppin."

"Hi, Boppin," Lucy said. "It's nice to meet you."

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss," Boppin replied, bowing low to her. Then he turned back to Jeremy and said, "Boppin was wondering if Master Jeremy would come home soon, sir. Is Master here to stay?"

"Yeah, Boppin, Lucy and I are going to be moving in," Jeremy said. "And I would very much like it if you would be willing to stay on and help us with the cleaning. We want to transform this place from top to bottom, so it truly is our house."

"Of course, Master Jeremy," Boppin said, bowing again. "Would Master and miss like some dinner? Boppin will put the kettle on."

"Yes, please," Jeremy agreed, and Boppin scurried off. Jeremy turned to Lucy and said, "Would you like a tour of the place? Or we could put your stuff in my room and then eat, and _then_ we can take a tour."

"Well, I am getting quite hungry," Lucy commented. "Let's put our things away and get some dinner, and then you can show me around."

**~LJ:TW~**

**August 1, 1999**

Lucy was nearly vibrating with excitement. She and Jeremy had done a lot of work on the house, and it was mostly to their liking. There were a few piles of things, some of which they wanted to let Jeremy's mother look at before they got rid of it. They had created a master suite—a large bedroom with walk-in closet, a connected bathroom, and two separate office areas, so that they had their own space if they needed it—on the first floor where Jeremy's room used to be. The rest of the rooms on the two floors above had been turned into modest guest rooms for the time being, ready to be turned into children's bedrooms if they ever decided to have any.

But it wasn't the house that had Lucy excited; her old friend Noelle Watson from back in America was on her way for a visit. Lucy and Noelle had reconnected after Voldemort had been defeated, and Lucy had invited the other girl when Noelle found herself in between jobs. Lucy was going to introduce Noelle to all her friends, because they were going to be throwing a Dumbledore's Army party at hers and Jeremy's house.

"Mistress Lucy," Boppin said, bouncing up to Lucy. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, and Miss Weasley have arrived."

"Thanks, Boppin," Lucy said, grinning at the house-elf. "You can let everyone out to the garden; I'll be right out."

Boppin bowed and then left to tend to their guests. Lucy put the last few touches on her makeup before getting up and hurrying after him.

"The house looks great," Ginny said in greeting as Lucy met up with her, Hermione, Harry, and Ron.

Lucy hugged her friends, grinning. "It's great to see you," she said teasingly. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

Mrs. Weasley insisted on having family dinner at the Burrow every Saturday evening, so Lucy had just seen all four of her friends the night before. It had been a particularly rowdy dinner, since it had also been Lucy's and Harry's nineteenth birthdays, and they had been celebrating Hermione's new job at the Ministry in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

"Hey, everyone," Jeremy called, exited the house with four other people following him—Daphne, Jake, Sally-Anne, and Oliver had arrived.

Lucy hurried to greet their new guests, and just after she'd finished saying hello to them, another wave of people joined the party.

Ten minutes later, Boppin scuttled out of the house and up to Lucy. "Mistress Lucy, Miss Watson is here!"

Lucy squealed and followed Boppin back inside to find Noelle standing in the foyer, looking around in awe. "Noelle!" Lucy screeched, launching herself at her old friend. "You're here!"

"Yes, I am," Noelle giggled, hugging Lucy back. "This house is absolutely amazing."

"Thanks," Lucy said, beaming and pulling away. "We've been working on it nonstop for the past month. It feels so much more like home than it did when we moved in."

"Is it weird to be in your own house?" Noelle asked. "I'm still living with my mom and dad—makes it hard to feel like I'm really an adult."

"It's been very interesting," Lucy replied. "Boppin has been a lifesaver, honestly—but don't tell Hermione I said that. C'mon, let's introduce you to everyone that's here so far."

Before Lucy could lead Noelle outside, however, there was a knock on the front door, and Boppin let in the rest of the Weasleys—Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Percy, George, Bill, and Fleur. Lucy grinned as her extended family piled into her foyer, and she moved forward to greet them all and introduce them to Noelle.

"And this is George," Lucy finished. "George, this is Noelle, my friend from back in the States."

"Nice to meet you," George said warmly, holding his hand out to Noelle.

Lucy glanced at Noelle, who was a bit flushed as she returned his handshake. A sly smile grew on Lucy's face; maybe George and Noelle would go well together. George was still slowly dealing with his grief, but maybe Noelle would give him the chance to be happy again.

"Everyone else is outside for now," Lucy announced over everyone's heads. "Go on out there, I'll be right behind you. There are more people at my door." She shooed Noelle along with the Weasleys, specifically George.

Another wave of people had entered her house, and she rushed to greet them. It was a large group of people: Luna, Neville, Hannah Abbott, Seamus, Dean, Ernie MacMillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Dennis Creevey—he'd been to a lot of the Dumbledore's Army events; Lucy made it a point to invite him, to make sure that he was doing okay after the death of his brother.

It seemed as though people kept pouring into the house, but Lucy was loving it. The party went well on into the night, and Lucy was very glad that they lived on a large amount of land that was quite isolated. Everyone seemed to have a good time, including, Lucy noted, George and Noelle, who spent the entire evening together. The night ended with Daphne and Jake announcing that they were getting married that Christmas, to the cheers of everyone there.

**~LJ:TW~**

**December 25, 1999**

The next four and a half months for Lucy were a blur of growing up. Just after hers and Jeremy's party, Sally-Anne and Oliver had gotten engaged. Meanwhile, Lucy and Jeremy had offered to help Daphne and Jake with their wedding preparations, seeing as Jeremy would be standing by as Jake's best man, and Lucy was going to be one of Daphne's bridesmaids.

There had been a lot of job offers being accepted amongst Lucy's group of friends, as well. In the middle of August, Jeremy got a job in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, which had always been a goal of his. Then, at the beginning of September, Sally-Anne joined the Auror Office, and a few weeks later, Daphne became a writer for the _Daily Prophet_.

In October, Lucy accepted a job in the Department of Magical Education. She had been so happy to get into that department, although she had been so excited to start looking at reform that she was getting frustrated at how slowly things seemed to move at the Ministry. Jeremy had spent many nights since then calming her down and keeping her grounded in reality.

The only downside over the past few months was when Noelle went back to America at the end of August. Lucy had really enjoyed having Noelle to stay, and she hoped that her friend could come back for another visit soon.

**~LJ:TW~**

Daphne's and Jake's wedding had arrived, and Lucy was wearing a blood red dress and fussing with Daphne's hair.

"I'm nervous," Daphne finally admitted to Lucy.

"You? Nervous?" Lucy repeated, shocked. "I didn't think you'd ever been nervous about anything before."

Daphne laughed. "I'm mostly nervous that I'm going to repeat something wrong and make a fool of myself in front of everyone," she clarified. "I didn't want to have a big wedding—not that our wedding is _that_ big, mind you—but Jake's got such a large extended family."

"Is your mom going to be here?" Lucy asked carefully. She knew that Daphne's father had been arrested and sent to Azkaban, same as Jeremy's.

"No," Daphne replied with a scoff. "She's never forgiven me for turning my back on them, and she especially hasn't forgiven me for not going to Dad's trial. But she's got perfect Astoria, so what does she need me for, anyway?"

Lucy gave Daphne a sad smile and continued to do her hair in silence. She knew that there was a part of Daphne who was disappointed that her own mother wouldn't be at her wedding.

Soon, Lucy had finished with Daphne's hair, and before they knew it, they were lining up to begin the wedding. As Lucy walked down the aisle with her bouquet, she looked at Jeremy and grinned. He looked as handsome as he ever did in his classic black dress robes. He gave her her favorite half-smile that made her figuratively weak at the knees. _Oh, he'd be getting lucky tonight_.

The wedding was lovely and made Lucy cry happy tears. As Daphne and Jake shared a tender kiss, Lucy couldn't help but hope that this was only the first of many more weddings between her friends to come.

**~LJ:TW~**

**May 2, 2000**

Lucy was sitting in the waiting room at St. Mungo's hospital, her right ankle up on her left knee, and she was jiggling her foot impatiently. They had gotten the message via Bill's Patronus that Fleur had gone into labor: the first Weasley grandchild was going to be born that day.

Jeremy came back into the waiting room and handed Lucy a cup of tea. Lucy took it from him gratefully, and he retook the seat next to her. Lucy glanced around at the rest of the Weasley family who were present—Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Percy, his fiancée Audrey, George, and Ron. Harry and Hermione were there, as well, as was Noelle, who was sitting next to George with her hand in his.

Lucy grinned at the pair of them. Noelle hadn't been able to stay away from Britain or, more importantly, George. In February, Noelle had officially moved to England—she was currently living with Lucy and Jeremy—and accepted a job at the Department of Magical Education with Lucy. A month later, Noelle and George had begun dating. They didn't have any plans to move in together yet—both were a bit more traditional than Lucy was—but they spent all kinds of time together when they weren't at work.

They weren't the only couple who had gotten together recently. A month before Noelle had come back to England, Neville and Hannah had arrived at one of the Dumbledore's Army parties with the announcement that they had officially started dating, surprising nearly everyone. Lucy had given Neville a knowing smirk; as one of his best friends, Neville had been talking to Lucy about how he felt about Hannah. Lucy was very happy for them.

Along with the new couples, there was another Weasley who had gotten engaged just a few weeks prior: Percy had asked Audrey to marry him, and she had accepted with the condition that they have a small wedding as soon as they could. They already had a date set in August.

Not much else of note had happened; just Jake getting a job in the Department of Magical Games and Sports at the beginning of April. Lucy had been enjoying a quiet few months, with all the good news from her friends. She and Jeremy had tentatively started planning their own wedding, but they hadn't set a date yet.

Lucy had just taken a sip of her tea when Bill joined them in the waiting room. He was grinning from ear to ear.

"Well?" Mrs. Weasley asked, clutching her handkerchief tightly between her hands.

"I have a daughter," Bill announced, and there was a cheer from the crowd, which was immediately shushed by a grumpy-looking witch nearby.

"How's Fleur?" Lucy questioned immediately.

"Tired but so happy," Bill answered. "She did such an amazing job. Her mum is sitting with her right now—Mum, Dad, you can come back and meet your granddaughter, if you'd like."

Mrs. Weasley stood up so quickly that Lucy giggled. The woman looked like she was about to jump through the roof, she was so excited. Mr. Weasley followed his wife, and Bill went to lead them to Fleur's room.

"Wait!" Audrey spoke up. "Do you have a name for her?"

"Oh, right," Bill said, shaking his head slightly. "Sorry about that—crazy day. We've named her Victoire Abigail—Victoire because today's the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts."

Lucy hadn't even realized what day it was. Two years ago, Harry had finally beaten Voldemort, and Lucy couldn't think of a more fitting name to honor the anniversary. Lucy also found it hard to believe that it had already been two years since that equally terrible and wonderful day.

**~LJ:TW~**

About half an hour later, Lucy was gathered with the rest of the Weasleys to see Victoire. Lucy knew immediately that she was the most beautiful baby that she'd ever seen. She definitely took after her mother's Veela side, although Lucy had heard that Bill had been very handsome as a young man, as well.

Later on, when Lucy and Jeremy had returned home, Jeremy pulled Lucy into his arms.

"Do you think you'd ever want one of our own?" he asked.

Lucy looked around at him curiously. "I haven't really thought about it," she told him. "We've been busy getting the house to how we like it, and starting our jobs—we're not even married yet. But—maybe in a few years, I'd be willing to have a child. Did you want to have one?"

"I want to have more than one," Jeremy admitted. "I was an only child, and there were times when it was incredibly lonely—although I also hope to be a much different father than mine was."

"You will be a brilliant father," Lucy stated, leaning forward and kissing him. "I know it, and I'm looking forward to that point when we get there."

**~LJ:TW~**

**December 7, 2000**

Lucy was looking around at her very large group of friends, still in slight disbelief that she was so lucky to be surrounded by such happiness and love. That night, they were officially celebrating Hermione's and Ron's engagement: another Weasley wedding was on the horizon.

**~LJ:TW~**

The past seven months since Victoire had been born had been great. Lucy was settling into her job at the Ministry, especially now that she was working alongside one of her best friends. They were currently working on their first piece of educational reform, which they were both very proud of.

At the end of June, Ginny and Luna had graduated from Hogwarts. Lucy felt very grown up when that happened; she now only knew a handful of people who were still in school, and of those people, she really only saw Dennis Creevey, who was still coming along to Dumbledore's Army events.

Immediately after Ginny had graduated, she had joined the Quidditch team the Holyhead Harpies. They had been scouting her through her last year at Hogwarts, where she'd been Captain of the Gryffindor team. Harry in particular had been very supportive, going to nearly all of her matches and all too happy to gloat that his girlfriend was playing Quidditch professionally. He had admitted, though, that if he didn't feel obligated to work in the Auror Office, he may have thought about playing professionally himself.

There were others starting new jobs, as well. In July, Luna began her job as a Magizoologist—someone who studied magical creatures. Lucy was definitely not surprised when she heard that that was Luna's chosen career path.

Hannah Abbott also got a new job in September as the new landlady of the Leaky Cauldron after Tom, the previous barman, had retired. She seemed to be a natural at it. Then Neville surprised them all by moving into the flat above the bar with Hannah. Some of the more traditional people whispered about how it was improper, but Lucy was happy for her friend.

Other than new jobs, there were a couple of relationship changes. Percy's and Audrey's wedding was that past August. It was a wonderful time, further changing Lucy's opinion of Percy in a positive way. Then in November, George and Noelle had gotten engaged. It seemed like everyone Lucy knew was getting married—including herself, of course; she and Jeremy had finally set a date for their own wedding.

**~LJ:TW~**

The Burrow was bursting at the seams with the amount of people who had shown up for the party. Even though the party was supposed to be about Hermione and Ron, Victoire was, of course, stealing the show. Neither Hermione nor Ron seemed to mind, though; everyone doted on that little girl.

Teddy Lupin seemed especially fond of Victoire; well, as fond as a two and a half year old could be of a seven month old. Teddy—although he was Lucy's and Harry's godson—lived with his grandmother Andromeda, and they had been welcomed into the Weasley/Dumbledore's Army fold with open arms.

Throughout the party, Hermione and Ron were asked question after question about their upcoming wedding. Neither of them had thought much about it yet; Hermione only knew that she wanted to be engaged for at least a year, so they had plenty of time to get everything together.

Towards the end of the party, Lucy found herself standing next to her twin brother, watching as a bunch of their friends danced—many of them were a little intoxicated, too.

"So…" Lucy started suggestively, "do you and Ginny have any plans to get engaged anytime soon?"

Harry blushed darkly and ran a hand through his messy black hair. "I've been thinking about it," he admitted. "I just don't know how to do it."

"Well, it helps to start with a ring," Lucy commented. "Do you have one of those yet?"

"No, but I've been to a couple shops, just to see what's out there," Harry answered. "I'm just trying to find the right time, too. I mean, watching everyone else get engaged and married, and even starting to have kids.… I think I want that, and I think I want that sooner than later." He paused and added, "I never thought I'd say that out loud."

Lucy gave him a small smile. She knew that his PTSD had gotten a lot better over the last two and a half years, but it still hit him hard some days.

They stayed silent for a few moments before he spoke up again, this time in a lower voice, "Do you think she'll say yes?"

Lucy stared at him for a moment. "What do you mean by that? Of _course_ she'll say yes. She loves you so much."

"I know," Harry said. "Sometimes I just get this feeling—that I don't know why she would want to be with me when she could be with anyone."

"Sounds like something that the two of you should talk about at some point in the future," Lucy commented. She raised her glass of firewhiskey to her lips and drained the remaining liquid. "Anyway, good luck. I'm going to go and find my fiancé." She winked and then headed towards Jeremy, who was across the room.

**~LJ:TW~**

**February 21, 2001**

Pride—that's what Lucy was feeling. She and Noelle had just presented their first piece of reform to both the Department of Magical Education and the Board of Governors of Hogwarts. It hadn't been voted on yet, but both Lucy and Noelle were feeling quite confident.

The reform they'd proposed would hire more teachers, so that there was more than one professor per subject. This way, class sizes would be smaller, and the teachers would actually be able to take breaks during the day.

While they were waiting for the vote to occur, Harry and Ron came over from the Auror Office to see how Lucy and Noelle were doing. Lucy was still extremely happy that her friends and family had accepted Noelle into their group—not that they had much choice now that she was going to be a sister-in-law to many of them after she married George.

She wasn't the only one getting married soon—true to his word, Harry did end of proposing to Ginny soon after Hermione's and Ron's party. Ginny said yes, surprising no one. They were having difficulty picking a date at the moment; Harry was very busy with the Auror Office, and Ginny had her hands full with her Quidditch schedule.

"No word yet?" Harry asked his sister.

"Not yet," Lucy replied, "but we presented them with a lot of information. It's only fair that we give them as much time as they need to process everything."

"How soon would the reform go into place if it passes?" Ron questioned.

"Hopefully by next school year," Noelle told him. "If it passes, then we can get right into interviewing for the jobs that need to be filled."

"I always thought it was ridiculous with how big the school is that there was only one professor for each subject," Lucy commented.

They were interrupted by one of the witches on the Board of Governors calling Lucy and Noelle back into the presentation room.

"Good luck!" Harry and Ron chorused before heading back to their own office.

Lucy and Noelle looked at each other and grinned. They nodded to each other and proceeded to the vote.

**~LJ:TW~**

"So?" Jeremy asked once Lucy had Apparated home. "What happened? Did it pass?"

Lucy grinned at him. "It passed," she announced. "Pretty much everyone said yes to it. I even got a comment or two from people wondering why we'd never done it before."

"That's great, Lucy," Jeremy said, smiling in return.

"Noelle asked if we wanted to meet up tonight and celebrate," Lucy continued. "I think it'd just be her and George, but you never know with our friends."

"Sure, I'd love to go out and celebrate," Jeremy answered. He wrapped his arms around Lucy's shoulders in a bear hug. "I love you and am so proud of you."

"Thanks," Lucy said. "I love you, too."

**~LJ:TW~**

**October 6, 2001**

Lucy heaved a steadying sigh. Hers and Jeremy's wedding day had finally arrived, and she couldn't help the nerves she was experiencing. She had absolutely no doubts about marrying Jeremy—they had been acting like a married couple for a while—but this was still a big day that she wanted to go right.

"Keep breathing," Daphne said, entering the room that Lucy had been getting ready in. In her arms was her newborn daughter, Holly—Lucy's goddaughter.

"I'm breathing," Lucy replied, smiling. "I'm just so _nervous_. I understand what you meant now on your wedding day."

"Everything is going to be fine," Daphne assured her. "We're just about ready out there for you. Are you ready?"

Lucy's heartbeat sped up. "I feel like—like I'm missing something," she confessed. "Like there's someone who should be here but isn't." She felt tears welling in her eyes as she realized that she would always feel like this on big occasions, because there was always going to be someone missing.

Daphne sat down in a chair, bouncing Holly in her arms. "You shouldn't be crying," she said softly. "You know that they're watching over you today, even though you can't see them."

"I never knew how hard it was going to be," Lucy admitted. "I knew that there were going to be a lot of people missing today, but it didn't hit me until just now. My parents, Sirius, Remus and Tonks, Fred, Mary—they should _be_ here—but they're not."

Daphne nodded but remained silent; she knew that Lucy just needed to say this out loud to make it real.

"I know we'll get through it," Lucy went on. "I know that I'm going to get up and walk down the aisle to Jeremy, and at the end of the night, we'll be married. And we're all going to have a wonderful time—I just needed an extra moment to come to terms with how many people I wish were here, you know?"

Daphne nodded again. "Well, whenever you're ready, the rest of us are, as well," she said. "Take your time—this is _your_ day, after all."

Lucy gave her friend a small smile, and Daphne exited the room again.

Taking another few breaths to calm herself, Lucy thought back to the other two weddings she'd been to that year. Noelle and George had gotten married back in April, and Sally-Anne and Oliver had their wedding in June. Both had been wonderful celebrations, and Lucy was ready for hers to be another good memory to add to her pile.

Taking one more breath, Lucy felt a grin tug at the corners of her mouth as she stood up, facing the door. She was ready to become Mrs. Lucy Whitlock.

**~LJ:TW~**

* * *

_**A/N: I am officially done posting This is War, and I am most likely finished with this series. Like I said before, this has been 10 years in the making. It's been a great creative outlet for me, and I'm partially sad to be finished with it, but also excited to look at other story ideas now.**_

_**Thank you so much for reading.**_

_**Happy Holidays!**_


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